Toms Vs She Cats
by Scarheart of DarkClan
Summary: In OakClan, tom hold all the power and they beat the she-cats they take as mates. In BloomClan, she-cats control what is going on and they take advantage of the toms they keep captive. When the two Clans meet, their difference clash in a bloody battles.
1. Alliances

**Summary: **Two Clans live near each other with no idea the other exists. On either side of a powerful river lives OakClan and BloomClan. In OakClan, tom hold all the power and they beat the she-cats they take as mates. In BloomClan, she-cats control what is going on and they take advantage of the toms they keep captive. When two patrols bump into each other, the abused realize that they are strong and they can fight. The bloody civil wars they follow aren't for more territory, they are for the answer of who is stronger: toms or she-cats.

**And the Story Begins:**

It was a chilly night when the events leading to the end began. Even though the sun burned warm during the day, the wind would bite into a cat's fur after the moon had risen. The stars watched from above, like they knew something was going to happen, that their world was forever going to be changed.

Ancient leaders rose from their rest, a deep, penetrating cold settling in their bones. Warriors with stars in their pelts sharpened their claws, wondering why they had an urge to fight. They had reached peace within themselves, no longer caring about the hatred possessed by their desendents.

Toms paired of with she-cats, not understanding what they were training for. They didn't feel like fighting each other as they had several hundreds of moons ago. The petty squable over dominace seemed like history, washed away like blood in a river.

Only Blomstar and Oakstar sat side by side, a fire burning in their hearts., watching that Clans they had started. Seasons hadn't made them soft, but it made them understand what they had really done; they had destroyed the prosperity of Jade and Storm. Time had only made them more excepting, able to understand the rage that had once coursed though the others veins.

It was below, where that same rage now swept the land. Hatred, that had once began in the legendary leader, was a guiding light. Cats lived in power while other lived in fear. Depending soley on what gender they had been born.

Two kits: one destined for greatness, the other for death. It wasn't what was in their heart that made them stand out to those around them. No one cared if they would lead, if they could love. It only mattered if they were male or female.

An apprentice and a young queen: both abused, but quite differently. The males can defend himself, proving in time that he is strong enough for the responsiblities that he deserves. The female must bare her wounds with dignity, trying not to show how much they sting. She will always be beaten, no matter who she grows up to be.

Two Clans, but One World.

**Mains:**

-After much careful decision and thought, I decided on our four mains-

Breezepaw (_Redwolf_) and Blossomfrost (_Mintfrost29_) from OakClan

Duskkit and Brightkit (_Phantomflower_) from BloomClan

Jay (_SilverWolf716_) as a loner siding with one of the Clans

-Please don't be mad if I didn't choose your cats. I liked what they had to offer.-

**Honorable Mentions:**

Nightclaw **I made him the mentor because I felt bad** and Blueflower (_SilverWolf1499_) of OakClan

Leopardheart and Stormclaw (_ADHD kid in jail_) of BloomClan

-I might do something from these character if I want to spice it up a bit.-

**OakClan **_(favors toms)_

Leader:_Adderstar_- Small silver and brown tabby tom with one ice blue eye. Mate: _Nightoak_

Deputy:_Nightclaw_- Huge strong pure black tom with hard cold emerald green eyes. Mate: _Blueflower. _Apprentice:_ Breezepaw_

Medicine Cat:_Spottedfire_- Spotted dark brown tom with white paws. Mate: _Waterberry_

Medicine Cat Apprentice:_Thornpaw_- Dark brown tom with white spots and yellow eyes. Mate: _Gingerfrost_

Warriors:

_Scorchfoot_- Pure white tom with bright orange paws and gleaming amber eyes. Mate: _Tawnyleaf_

_Talonfoot_- Sandy brown tom with clear blue eyes. Mate: _Snakeleaf. __Apprentice: __Hawkpaw_

_Jadeclaw_- Huge black tom with dark blue eyes. Mate: _None. _Apprentice: _Pinepaw_

_Patchwhisker_- Black and sandy brown patched tom with blue eyes. Mate: _Brookleaf._ Apprentice:_ Freshpaw_

_Longwhisker_- Brown tabby tom with green eyes. Mate: _None_

_Whitestripe_- Large white tom with brown eyes. Mate: _Serpentleaf_

_Dunewind_- Sandy-colored tom with a white chest and amber eyes. Mate: _None. _Apprentice:_ Blackpaw_

_Mintswip_- Brown tom with white stripes and a white belly. Mate: _None_. Apprentice: _Snowpaw_

_Mouseheart_- Light gray tom darker stripes with dark hazel eyes. Mate: _dead._

Queens:

_Twanyleaf-_ Dark brown she cat with lighter brown stripes and silvery eyes.(_Rainkit_) Mate: _Scorchfoot_

_Snakeleaf_- Pretty silver she-cat with a sinister smile and mischievous blue eyes. Mate: _Talonfoot_

_Serpentleaf_- Pretty silver she-cat with a sinister smile and mischievous blue eyes. Mate: _Whitestripe_

_Nightoak_- Beautiful night black she-cat with dazzling amber eyes. (_Nightkit_) Mate: _Adderstar_

_Blueflower_- Dark gray she-cat with black and white spots.(_Dawnkit, Lilackit, Icekit, Rosekit_) Mate: _Nightclaw_

_Waterberry- _Beautiful silver tabby she-cat with stunning blue eyes. Mate: _Spottedfire_

_Brookleaf- _Golden tabby she-cat with minty-green eyes. Mate: _Patchwhisker_

Apprentices:

_Pinepaw_- Striped brown tabby tom with bright green eyes. Mate: _Moonfrost. _Mentor: _Jadeclaw_

_Snowpaw_- Short-furred white tom with dark blue eyes. Mate: _Skyfrost_. Mentor: _Mintswip_

_Hawkpaw_- Large dark brown tabby tom with ice blue eyes. Mate: _None_. Mentor: _Talonfoot_

_Blackpaw_- Black tom with white a fluffy white tail. Mate: _None_. Mentor: _Dunewind_

_Freshpaw- _White tom with brown splashes and pale green eyes. Mate: _Ivyfrost_. Mentor: _Patchwhisker_

_Breezepaw- _Light brown tom with darker brown spots. Mate: _Blossomfrost._ Mentor: _Nightclaw_

Young Queens:

_Ivyfrost_- Gorgeous white she-cat with golden patches and green eyes. (_Ashkit_) Mate: _Freshpaw_

_Blossomfrost_- Pretty white she-cat dappled with chocolate brown fur. Mate: _Breezepaw_

_Moonfrost_- Beautiful silvery blue she-cat with soft white paws. Mate: _Pinepaw_

_Skyfrost_- Pretty silver she-cat with darker bluish gray and silver flecks. Mate: _Snowpaw_

_Gingerfrost- S_mall light ginger she-cat with dark brown tabby stripes. Mate: _Thornpaw_

She- Kits:

_Rainkit_- Cream-colored she-cat with brown patches. Mate: _Dawnkit_. (parents: _Twanyleaf_ and _Scorchfoot_ )

_Lilackit_- Silver tabby with small white spots all over her body and has dark blue eyes. Mate: _Nightkit _(parents: _Blueflower_ and _Nightclaw)_

_Rosekit_- A light gray tabby with light blue eyes. Mate: _Ashkit _(parents: _Blueflower_ and _Nightclaw)_

Tom-Kits:

_Nightkit_- Black tom with small white freckles near his eyes. Mate: _Lilackit_. (parents: _Nightoak_ and_ Adderstar_)

_Dawnkit_- Black tom with gray stripes and light green eyes. Mate: _Rainkit _(parents: _Blueflower_ and _Nightclaw_)

_Icekit_- Smallish white tom with dark green eyes. (parents: _Blueflower_ and _Nightclaw)_

_Ashkit_- White tom with auburn and light brown stripes and dark green eyes. Mate: Rosekit. (parents: _Ivyfrost_ and _Freshpaw_)

Elders:

_Weaseltooth_- Light brown tom with white stripes, and dark green eyes. Mate: _Snowleaf_

_Snowleaf_- Small, fluffy white she-cat with light amber eyes. Mate: _Weaseltooth_

_Venomleap_- Large, dusty brown tom with dark amber eyes. Mate: _dead_

**BloomClan **_(favors she-cats)_

Leader: _Petalstar_- Black she-cat with ginger spots and blue eyes. Mate: _Secretthorn _Apprentice: _Firepaw_

Deputy: _Leopardheart_- Dapppled golden she-cat with green eyes. Mate: _Stormclaw_

Medicine Cat :_Cloudblossom_- Long furred lithe white she-cat with blind blue eyes and ginger patches. Mate: _Flamewhisper_

Medicine Cat Apprentice: _Lynxpaw_- Cream-light brown she-cat with gray spots, deep brown eyes, an a tuft of fur on her ears.

Warriors:

_Lilystrike_- Gray she-cat with sky blue eyes. Apprentice: _Icepaw_

_Duskfern_- Sleek, dark gray she-cat with leafy green eyes. Apprentice: _Everpaw_

_Spiritclaw_- Gorgeous ginger she-cat with white nose and underbelly. Mate: _Adderblaze_

_Smokefrost_- White she-cat with black stripes across her back and blue eyes. Apprentice: _Cloudpaw_

_Fallowheart_- Delicate brown tabby with dark blue eyes and dainty little white paws. Mate: _dead _

_Forestbreeze_- Brown she-cat with ginger tabby stripes and green eyes. Mate: _None_

_Ivysky_- Silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Mate: _dead_

_Rainsong- _Blue gray she-cat with stormy gray eyes. Mate: _None_

_Dawnlight- _Pretty blue-gray and white she-cat with frosty blue eyes. Mate: Abandoned

Toms:

_Ashblaze_- Brown tom with green eyes,short fur,and oval eyes. Mate: _Stormbreeze_

_Flamewhisper_- Small ginger tom with deep green eyes. Mate: _Cloudblossom_

_Jaggedblaze_- Brown tom with messy brown fur and icy blue eyes. Mate: _Larkspirit_

_Secretthorn_- Small black tom with emerald green eyes. Mate: _Petalstar_

_Adderblaze_- Handsome dark brown tom with one amber eye and one green eye. Mate: _Spiritclaw_

_Tigerblaze_- Large, golden ginger tom with dark gray eyes. Mate: _Lightcloud_

_Stormclaw_- Light brown tom with strange purple eyes. Mate: _Leopardheart_

Apprentices:

_Everpaw_- A silver coated she cat with white paws, muzzle, and tail tip. Mate: _Beartalon. _Mentor:_ Duskfern_

_Cloudpaw_- Pure white she-cat with long and fluffy fur. Mate: _Spacetalon_. Mentor: _Smokefrost_

_Firepaw_- Thick-furred long-legged ginger and white she-cat with blind blue eyes. Mate: _Wolftalon. _Mentor: _Petalstar_

_Icepaw_- Small long-furred white she-cat with pale blue eyes. Mate: _Hawktalon_(dead). Mentor: _Lilystrike_

Young Toms:

_Beartalon_- A pure black tom with crystal blue eyes. Mate: _Everpaw_

_Spacetalon_- He is a pure black tom that has hazel/amber eyes. Mate: _Cloudpaw_

_Wolftalon_- Large dark gray tom with pale amber eyes. Mate: _Firepaw_

Queens:

_Stormbreeze_- Dark gray she-cat with blue eyes,long fur,and large ears. (_Breezekit, Aspenkit_) Mate: _Ashblaze_

_Larkspirit_- Beautiful tawny she-cat with ice blue eyes and dark brown paws (_Amberkit_) Mate: _Jaggedblaze_

_Lightcloud_- Small golden tabby she-cat with warm brown eyes.(_Fernkit, Pantherkit. Duskkit_) Mate: _Tigerblaze_

_Moonstripe- _Light silver tabby she-cat with light blue eyes._ (___Brightkit___) _Mate: __dead__

She-Kits:

_Aspenkit_- Brown oval shaped blue eyes and long fur. Mate: _Pantherkit_ (parents: _Stormbreeze_ and _Ashblaze_)

_Amberkit_- Light brown she-cat with pale blue eyes. Mate: _Breezekit._ (parents: _Larkspirit_ and _Jaggedblaze_)

_Fernkit_- Dusty gray she-cat with white flecks and blue eyes. (parents: _Lightcould_ and _Tigerblaze)_

_Brightkit-_ White she-cat with light green eyes and gray tabby patches. Mate: _Duskkit._ (parents: _Moonstripe_)

Tom-Kits:

_Breezekit_- Gray with green eyes large ears and short fur. Mate: _Amberkit_. (parents: _Stormbreeze_ and _Ashblaze_)

_Pantherkit_- Pure black tom with dark amber eyes. Mate: _Aspenkit_. (parents: _Lightcould_ and _Tigerblaze)_

_Duskkit_- Tiny black tom with icy blue eyes. Mate: Brightkit. (parents: _Lightcould_ and _Tigerblaze)_

Elders:

_Dapplemist_- Dappled tortoiseshell and white she-cat with misty blue eyes. Mate: _Silverwhisper_

_Silverwhisper_- Light silver-gray and white tom with bright blue eyes. Mate: _Dapplemist_

_Ferretclaw_- Dark brown tabby she-cat with snowy white paws and blue eyes. Mate: _dead_

_Quickstreak- _Dark gray she-cat with black streak down forehead, and bright blue eyes. Mate: _dead_

**Loners:**

_Jay-_ Beautiful silver she-cat with a black muzzle, underbelly, legs, ears and paws.

**Rogues:**

_Danger_- Light ginger she-cat with hazel and amber eyes.

_Rose_- Dark ginger she-cat with emerald green eyes.

_Piper_- Dark brown she-cat with ginger, white and black stripes.

_Splash_- Light silver tom with black spots and brown eyes.

_Moon_- Dark gray tom with light gray circles around his eyes.

_Marshmallow_- Fluffy white she-cat with delicate pink paws and amber eyes.

_Moss_- Light brown she-cat with pale moss green eyes.

_Freeze_- Silvery blue tom with light gray paws and blue eyes.

_Fang_- Black tom with white zebra stripes and dark green eyes. Sister: F_light_

_Flight_- White she-cat with black stripes. Brother: _Fang_

_Wolf_- Dark gray tom with light gray paws and green eyes.

_Breeze_- Lithe peach she-cat with white and gray stripes.

_Thunder_- Large black tom with stormy gray eye.

**Note to Reviewers: **

I created a rogue based on each of you. I hope you can guess which one you are**.**

**Thanks to:**

-Ethersim714

-Stormbreeze of WindClan

-Marshmellowtime

-Queztionz

-Swiftlily22

-SupahSplash34

-Mintfrost29

-Lakespirit of ForestClan

-Talonfoot and Ripplestream

-eeve2leafeon

-Moonstar of the Clans

-Mossshine

-Randomcat

-Phantomflower

-ADHD kid in jail

-Sunfeather15666

-SilverWolf1499

-x-xDangerous-Bunnyx-x

-LarkThatSingsAtDawn

-Brightcloud

-Moonfur10

-Fred50208

-SilverWolf716

-Warriorz

-Redwolf

-Newlife of ThunderClan

-Sliced Pie Baked Fresh


	2. Prologue

** Welcome to the story of battles, doubt, viciousness, clearity, abuse, and everything but mercy. I thank you for deciding to read this story. This is Jay the Loner describing the land that will be featured over the rest of the story. I hope you understand where everything is. I have a map to help me, but you don't.**

**Prologue**

I have lived in the safe, bountiful valley for more years than any cat can imagine. I was here to see generations of cats live and die in those Clans they live in.

The Clans could do what ever they really wanted as long as they left me alone; and they did. I was free to roam this wonderful land and see everything it offered to me.

I knew both banks of the river like the back of my paw. I had walked them all my life and will continue to walk them until I can walk no more.

The right bank is completely covered in trees. When you are laying on the edge of the river, trees are all you can see. They stand tall with their green leaves fluttering in the breeze.

If you were to venture into the trees, you would find that they thin out until you are standing on a grassy plain. If you are big enough, you can see over the blades of grass that waves with every gust of the wind.

Over the blades of grass lies large boulders that were there as long as I have been alive, and that is a long time. They stand tall and straight through any weather the sky throws at them.

They house a group of cats that call themselves OakClan. It is a name that strikes fear into my heart because they abuse she-cats. I have often walked by only to flee at the sound of screams from the she-cats as they are beaten.

I often run north to the Twoleg path that is often hidden by trees. If I continue upward, I leave behind the trees to a land of marshy ground and little vegetation. Frogs and other despicable creatures wallow in the filthy water that collects in ponds and puddles.

The farthest north that I have dared to travel is the Fox Rock. It stands alone and is easily the highest point within many, many fox lengths. It marks the edge of where most sane cats will travel.

Some say that in the dark pines beyond, there lives cold hearted foxes that live just to eat cats. Only one cat in my memory had lived to tell the tales of what she saw in there.

If I at the Twoleg path instead of continuing past it, I walked down it, I would be rewarded with a drink from the chilled pond. It is feed by an ice river that flowed from the peaks of the mountains.

Sometimes on a clear day, you can see the Twoleg path I would often pass if I choose to run south from OakClan's camp. The half-bridge is something to avoid because strong OakClan toms are sometime fishing into the water.

Past the southern Twoleg path is a barren field that is covered with dirt and dying grasses. I like to call it the Great Moor though the other rogues and loners like to call it the Windswept. Their name does have its reasoning behind it.

The wind rattle across the grasses and creates an eerie nose as it echoes through the hollow stalks. On the night of the half moon, OakClan cats like to walk across the Great Moor and disappear into the tunnels that the badgers made before they moved away.

My father told me that he had been down there once before, and it wasn't an abandoned badger set, but a cavern full of glistening stone that shone under the light of the moon. He told me I had to see the beauty in my own eyes to really see it.

I just laughed at my old, senile father who was amused by shining stones. I had already seen the Sharp Stones that parted the dense woods on the right bank. They were desolate and barren with the only life being the moss that clung to the damp rocks.

I had just been in the middest of the stones once when a group of rogues chased me from the Twolegplace that lay on an island that lay on the northern part of the river. They were a vicious bunch that wasn't afraid to fight.

I had been on their island because using the bridges; it was the only way to get across the river if you didn't want to be washed away. It still held its dangers: being attacked by rogues, crushed and eaten by a monster, or falling over the edge.

On the other side was the beautiful left bank with its wind open land covered by scarce trees and running streams and smaller rivers.

The thunderpath connected to the bridge separated the raccoon's pine forest from the rest of the land. They never bothered the cats and preferred to spend their days wandering the Twolegplace in search of food.

A smaller pine forest grew next to the thunderpath on the other side. It was dark and scary and often an owl would coo from its post in a distant tree. No crickets chirped and it was a desolate place.

If you walked out of the forest, you would find yourself in a marshland much like the one on the right bank near the Fox Rock. Fog and mist rise off because of the heat of the thunderpath and the monsters that run down it.

When you were tried of dragging your paws through the ground that squelched with everything step, the ground dried up. Short sprouts of grass shot up, and rabbits ran around like there wasn't a care in the world.

A tall oak tree stands between the marshland and the moor. Its branches reach up to the highest stars in the sky. My mother used to tell me that its trunk was hollowed out, and you could climb the grooves until you were in the sky.

How wonderful it must be to be up in sky and be able to see everything around you. You could stare across the flat moors until you see the islands the dot the southern left bank.

On one of those islands live another group of cats called BloomClan. Some days, I might cross the fallen tree onto their island. The she-cats there are friendly and are always willing to offer me a piece of prey if I'm hungry.

I only go over if I'm in a desperate situation because they stare at me like I'm a juicy piece of prey. Their leader even had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to join. She seemed startled when I told her that I was just fine on my own, thank you very much.

They did leave me free to explore the many islands that formed because the river would branch off only to reconnect at a location further down. I think I counted a total of fifteen pieces of land, but I might have lost count.

Only two could really be considered an island because the others were only a couple of fox lengths long. BloomClan lived on one hospitable one, and I usually spent most of my time on the other.

Well, you could find me there if I wasn't off exploring. That was the old days though. Now I'm hear the entire time, and I don't know if I will live to regret not telling BloomClan about the cruel OakClan that lives across the uncrossable river.

I don't believe I will because they know nothing of the thunderpath bridge. I will be able to live the rest of my days with a peace of mind that comes from living a life worth living.

**Please review and tell me what you think about the scene I created. I think I'm going to start of with Breezepaw of OakClan. I might include a tiny but from Blossomfrost. Remeber to review because that speeds up my writing.**


	3. Plans

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed (Swiftlily22, Marshmellowtime, Moonfur10, Stormbreeze of WindClan, Red Wolf, Moonblaze 13, SilverWolf716, Mintfrost29, TalonfootandRipplestream4Ever, The Last Sketch, Scrougelover, Moonstar243, LarkThatSingsAtDawn, Phantomflower, SilverWolf1499, and Dragonstar19.) I just had to mention all you wonderful people. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Character: Breezepaw of OakClan**

* * *

><p><strong>Ch.1 Plans<strong>

"Get off you lazy butt you worthless apprentice," shouted Nightclaw into the apprentice den. "We are going on dawn patrol and if you aren't in the clearing within a minute, I'm going to beat you like a she-cat."

I rose out of my nice nest of moss and into the cold morning air. Dew had settled on my back, and the water slowly dripped down my side. I rolled back in the drier moss to warm up a bit. I turned to see a striped brown tom looking at me with hate in his eyes.

Pinepaw snarled at me. "If had gotten up like you were supposed to, your mentor wouldn't be tearing into the den waking us all up. I knew what to do when I was you age." He put his head back down to catch a couple more hours of sleep.

I was about to make a comment back, when Nightclaw stuck his scarred head in the entrance. "You had better get up Pinepaw. I heard Jadeclaw calling for you earlier. You know how he hates to be kept waiting." I could swear there was a smile on his face as he said it.

The striped brown tom shoot out of his nest. "You little she-cat," he whispered into my ear. He made a swipe at my legs with unsheathed claws, but I leaped high in the air and dodged him. "I'll get you," he whispered in my ear and strutted out.

Walking out behind him, I gave him my best smile. "Too bad I'll be watching and waiting. For the oldest apprentice, you aren't a smart one." I ran my claw along the twigs that formed the entrance. When a sliver of wood pealed off, I flicked it at him.

It lightly tapped him on the back of the head. The piece slowly floated to the dirt floor. I saw his claws unsheathe and he hissed at me. "This is what will happen to you if that happens again." he barked.

The wood sliver that had fallen on the floor was quickly shredded to pieces. "Like you could do that to something that can fight back."

"You bet I can." he retorted. "It would be even easier. The wood can probably fight better than you can. I saw Nightclaw talking to Adderstar. It was probably about your incompetence."

I had nothing to say to that, so I just ignored him. When he moved to saw something else, I unsheathed my own claws and dug them deep into the dirt.

When we reached the center of the clearing, I moved to grab a piece of prey, but Nightclaw stepped in front of me. "Breezepaw," he said threateningly.

Pinepaw laughed at me. "Look who is in trouble and doesn't get to eat a morning meal. Being treated like a bad queen." He moved right past me and moved to grab the biggest squirrel in the pile. Jadeclaw, his mentor, appeared out of nowhere and stepped in from of him too.

Their eyes stared at us accusingly. "Aren't you two forgetting something that you need to do?" The seemed to find joy in our confusion. "I think you are." said Nightclaw, his voice dark.

'Darn, the young queens.' I muttered under my breath. I couldn't believe I had forgotten about them. Pinepaw saved me this once. "Why do we even have to feed them? All they do is sit there and talk. They would be better off dead and starved."

Jadeclaw smacked him outside the head. "You will feed them because we told you to. You must learn to follow orders. What kind of warrior will you be if you don't listen to Adderstar or any warriors? The queens are just a chore and a lesson for you to learn."

Pinepaw hung his head, but the malicious glint from earlier was still in his eye. "Of course, I'll take Breezepaw with me. I'll get the nursing queens, and he can get the useless ones."

I barred my teeth at him. The nursing queens were a much better crowd than the ones without kits. They never said a word against anything you did to them. Always looking out for their kits.

Pinepaw leaned over the tiniest bit and whispered in my ear. "I told you I would get you back. All your watching and waiting didn't help, did it?"

"Shut your mouths," yelled Nightclaw as he grabbed four mangy birds and added it to the squirrel Pinepaw had originally picked up. "The nursing queens get the squirrel. All the others have to split the birds. No coming back for more."

The two of us rolled our eyes at the deputy. We knew better than to listen to the queens pleas for more prey; we had known that even before we became apprentices. There would be less for us when we got back from our patrol.

"Take those birds to Blossomfrost, Moonfrost, Skyfrost, Gingerfrost, Snakeleaf, Serpentleaf, and Brookleaf. Spottedfire already got something for Waterberry. Also, make sure to tell Moonfrost I'm going to see her later." Pinepaw said to me as our mentor walked away.

"I'm not you queen." I shouted back to Pinepaw. "You can tell Moonfrost yourself when you finish with the nursing queens," I yelled towards him while walking in the opposite direction.

Since I wasn't looking where I was going, I tumbled into someone. Thinking it was a queen, I snapped, "Watch where you are going you lazy lump of fur." I turned around ready to cuff them on the head, but I turned around to see an elder tom.

"When I was an apprentice, we didn't talk like that." snapped Weaseltooth. "We respected our elders and I didn't have to go get prey myself." He walked toward the center clearing mumbling to himself about stupid apprentices.

I shrugged my shoulders and continued walking to the queen's den. "What ever you say!" I called back to Weaseltooth. "What ever you say, you insane queen lover," I mumbled just loud enough so he could hear me.

"I'll have you know," he shouted without turning around, "That my Snowleaf is a beauty. Nothing compared to your frosts."

"Sure, sure," I said to myself. Blossomfrost might be beautiful, but she wasn't going to be an elder with me.

The birds in my mouth were covered in saliva from my talking. They were starting to taste funny, and the feathers were slowly chocking me. I picked up my pace the smallest increment.

When I walked into the queen's den, I forcefully pushed aside the hanging moss and made sure everyone inside heard me. They all turned to look at me, a different expression in each of their eyes. Some looked defiant while others scared.

"Snowpaw," called Skyfrost. "Is that you?" She was cowered in the back of the den where the water from the rocks above dripped on her head. She took a couple steps out of the dark corner, but ran back when she noticed it was me.

"Nope," I smiled at the young queen. "Your she-cat of a mate is still sleeping like the weakling he is. Instead, you have me to deliver your morning meal." I ceremoniously spit out the prey at their feet.

Snakeleaf and Serpentleaf walked forward. The two identical silver she-cats flicked a paw towards the prey and walked away. "This isn't even enough for one of us," said one of them. "Adderstar would be shocked out how you are treating his sisters." The other turned to me. "Get us more prey," she demanded.

"Can't do that," I smiled viciously at them. "You know Adderstar can't stand you two hideous beasts. He won't kill you because you could have some strong tom-kits. Talonfoot and Whitestripe are strong warriors."

They snarled at me and moved to grab two pieces of prey. I silently moved in front of them and snatched one from them. "I can't let you guys take half the prey. I won't have my mate dying on me. I would hate to end up like Hawkpaw and have no mates."

One of the sisters spit at me. "I would hate to see any of your kits. They would probably be to ugly to look at." The nicer one, Serpentleaf, smiled at Blossomfrost. "No offense to you."

Blossomfrost shrugged. "I know. The ones that take after their father will have to be thrown in the river. No one will want to see them."

I gave the plumpest bird, still pretty scrawny to Blossomfrost and her friend Moonfrost. To my mate, I said, "Any kit that takes after you will have to be killed right away. The warriors would go blind before they could make it to the river."

Moonfrost stood to defend her friend, but I spoke before she could. "Oh, Moonfrost," I said causally. "Pinepaw mentioned he wanted to see you later. He wasn't in a very good mood this morning. I really hope it get better."

I could see a small shudder travel through Moonfrost. "Look who is scared of the big, strong toms." I announced so the entire den of queens could hear. "Moonfrost is frightened of Pinepaw."

Blossomfrost rose to her feet. "It is just a little cold and damp in here." She announced. "Brrrrr. I'm really cold." She threw in a little fake shiver to try to get me to fall for her trap.

Soon, Moonfrost and Skyfrost had joined in; Skyfrost was actually shivering because she had been sitting in bug ridden water since she left the nursery as a kit.

I waved my paw in front of my mate. Slowly, I unsheathed each claw until there was a dazzling display of five razor sharp claws. "I think we should go for a walk later tonight. How does that sound to you?" I said through gritted teeth.

She was making me look like a fool in front of all the queens. Did she not realize that Nightclaw could be standing right outside the entrance. He was probably wondering what was taking me so long.

She stared at me with her fiery green eyes and shining white teeth. "I would love to go on a walk with you. How kind of you to invite me. Can I bring a friend?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"No," I snapped at her. "You can't bring a friend with you." I swiped my unsheathed claws at her ear. " Eat you prey and stop asking stupid questions."

Blood dripped down from her ear and splattered on her white pelt. She gave me a smile and whispered in my ear as I was walking out, "I hope hurting an innocent she-cat made you feel strong."

I left the den greeted by the silence of the queens. They were all the same. The sight of a tom's strength made them all cower in fear. It just took some longer to learn than others. I had no clue when Blossomfrost would learn that.

The clearing was empty when I walked back. Well, almost empty. Weaseltooth was sitting off to the side eating with his mate, Snowleaf. The two stuck to the shadows and were easy to ignore.

Jadeclaw had left the clearing and so had Nightclaw. I was about to call for him when I saw a black tail disappear into the nursery. It probably was him going to see Dawnkit and Icekit. He might even decided to see Blueflower, Lilackit, and Rosekit.

That also meant I had a couple minutes to grab a quick bite to eat before my patrol. I settled down comfortably under Great Stone when Nightclaw walked right back out.

I quickly stuffed the thrush in my mouth and hurried over to Nightclaw. "I left you for one second, and I come back to see you stuffing yourself with food. You know it goes to the warriors first." He huffed out before starting to walk away.

"You can't expect to eat after the patrol when the queens have already eaten. She-cats are ranked below me." I cried indignantly with feathers still sticking from my mouth. "My mate is eating right now while I'm hungry. That is not how OakClan works."

Nightclaw smacked me outside the head. This claws bit gently into my cheek. "That is no way to talk to your mentor. She-cats might rank below you, but I rank way above you. Remember that Breezepaw."

I didn't give him any response. I just silently walked beside him; my paws barely touched the ground as I crept along. We walked past the stone rocks that encircled our camp.

Our way across the open grassland was quiet. The only sound was the wind whistling over the grass, and the dew splashing on our pelts. He didn't speak until we reached the edge of the forest.

"Breezepaw," he said. "I was talking to Adderstar before I woke you. He was talking about some plans he has for OakClan."

I nodded slowly, not wanting him to see how excited I was. I would be the only apprentice to know. Ha to Pinepaw who had seen the talk but had no clue what it was about. "What did he tell you oh wise Nightclaw?"

"Stop with you nonsense language," snapped Nightclaw. "Your lucky I'm telling you in the first place. Not even Spottedfire and Thornpaw know this." He whispered. "He didn't even tell his medicine cats."

Excited shiver ran over my body. "I"m sorry mentor." I groveled in front of him. I never would have done this if it had been anything less than Adderstar's secret plans. "I'm sorry I interrupted you. Please continue with whatever you were saying."

He glared at me, but didn't smack me. "Well, he wants to see if there is a way across the river. And, I volunteered us to go see if there is a way. Surprisingly, Adderstar said you were a good choice."

"When do we leave?" I asked as soon as he finished speaking. I couldn't wait to shove it in Pinepaw's face. He would be furious that he, the oldest apprentice, wasn't chosen.

Nightclaw gave a vicious smile. "You aren't very smart Breezepaw. I'm almost regretting not switching you with Pinepaw. We just left."

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><p><strong>I'm planning on sticking with Breezepaw for the next couple chapters. He was a lot of fun to right. Remember to review and ask any question you have.<strong>

**I have a bog at http:/ / scarheart of darkclan. blogspot. com/ (without spaces) where you can see answers to the questions you have asked in the reviews. I would advise everyone to visit.**


	4. Surprise

**I round of applause for everone who reviewed ( Marshmellowtime, Mossshine, Redwolf, Mintfrost29, The Last Sketch, Newlife of ThunderClan, SilverWolf1499, Fred50208, TheVampLuvr1, Daysky, SupahSplash34, ADHD kid in jail, Moonblaze 13, flyingshuiken, and Phantomflower.) You guys have moved this story to the front of the update list.**

**Character: Breezepaw of OakClan**

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><p><strong>Ch. 2 Surprise<strong>

"You mean we aren't going back to camp. How can I shove it in Pinepaw's face? What does the rest of the Clan think we are doing?" I shouted, extremely irritated. This threw off all the wonderful and devious plans I had formed.

I could hear Nightclaw unsheathe his long, sharp claws; claws that had given Blueflower permanent scars. "I will only answer the questions I choose to at the times I choose to." He looked me in the eyes. "I could still go back and get another apprentice. I'm sure Hawkpaw and Blackpaw would love to trade places with you." His words were drenched in malice.

"We'll have no problems in the question department." I retorted as fast as I could react. "None at all. I'll be as quiet as my stupid brother Freshpaw." I sneered the last bit. Freshpaw didn't understand that she-cats were ranked below us.

"You had better not act like your brother," chuckled Nightclaw. It seemed weird coming out of him. "Patchwhisker has a lot of training to do if he wants to make your brother into a warrior." smiled my mentor. His voice seemed to loss the edge of viciousness that I that was always present.

That might have been the nicest thing he had ever said to me. "Thanks Nightclaw," I said. "You aren't a bad mentor. You might even be a good one."

I probably shouldn't have said that. "I'm not an average mentor or even a good mentor," he snarled at me. "I'm the best mentor you could have. Now be quiet or I will go fetch your she-cat brother instead." He was back to his normal cruel self.

"I'm way better than Freshpaw," I shouted indignantly. "I think that is more of an insult that I gave you. That is the equivalent of saying you aren't as good as Rainkit."

He ignored my mention to the kit. "At least your brother listens to Patchwhisker. You could learn a few things from you brother." I could see in his eyes that he was being deathly serious. "Maybe you won't have to if you would just be quiet."

I did shut up as we walked down to Sharp Rocks. I had millions of questions floating around my head, I felt like I was going to explode. Nightclaw kept glancing over at me like he was waiting for me to spout of everything that was in my mind.

Finally, I could stand it no longer. "What does the rest of our Clan think we are doing? I won't have Pinepaw telling everyone that I'm picking daisies on the Great Moor." I dug my claws into the soft ground and refused to go a step farther. "I'm not going until you tell me."

Nightclaw gave a sigh. "Now that is why I picked you," he told me. "You have the spirit of a true OakClan tom." Instead of answering my question, he just stared straight ahead and walked closer to the rocks on the horizon.

"I'm not moving until you tell me what the Clan thinks we are really doing? I can wait all day," I shouted towards Nightclaw. When I saw my mentor stop dead in his tracks, I froze where I was standing.

Her turned around, and his eyes were a cold moss green. His black fur seemed to ripple over his abundant muscles. "You want to know what we are doing Breezepaw? Do you, do you?" His eyes were blazing and his claws were out.

I backed against a tree and the bark scrapped against my back. "I was just wondering," I managed to spit out. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It is perfectly fine with me." I don't think I had ever been this scared in all my apprenticeship. Nightclaw's eyes froze my courage and sapped my strength.

He didn't say anything, but patiently crept closer to me, like he had all day. His paws slid silently over the ground. Not a single leaf crinkled under his expertly placed paws. The pair moss green eyes poured into mine.

Without warning, his claw flew towards my head. There was no time to duck the swipe, and I prepared myself to join StarClan. My eyes were shut, but I didn't feel the pain of claws slicing through my head.

I peeped through my eyelids to see Nightclaw standing in front of me with his front paw bleeding a fresh red blood. He just looked from his damaged paws to me and than to the forest floor.

One of his sharp claws had lodged itself in the wood above my head. It gleamed under the sunlight that shown through the leaves and branches of the high trees. The tiniest crimson was freckled on the end.

His fury seemed to slowly ebb away when he saw his claw staring him in the face. "I'm sorry about that. I was just like you when I was an apprentice. Risingstrike would threaten to kill me everyday," he told me. "And look at me now. I'm OakClan's deputy."

"Do you think I could be the next deputy?" I asked him. I could picture myself standing proudly on top of Tom Rock and giving kits their mates. The toms would love me, and the she-cats would fear me.

"Only if you listen to me," he answered. "Now, will you get me some cobwebs or moss, so I could put it on my wound?" he asked me in a nice tone. His words slurred the littlest bit because he was already licking up the blood.

"Sure Nightclaw," I responded and darted out of his view. I didn't want to to be there when he remembered he was angry at me.

The forest passed by at a leisurely pace as I strolled through looking for an old spiderweb. Only she-cats used the ones that still had spiders on them.

I had given up hope of finding any, when I spotted one hanging between two roots. There was some leaves caught in it, but it would have to do. Nightclaw probably wouldn't notice in his mood.

When I got back to where my mentor was laying, he was drawing a diagram in the caked dirt. "Hello, Breezepaw," he called to me. "I see you brought me some moss. Why don't you sit here as I tell you some stories."

I stood there awkwardly as he wrapped his paw in cobwebs. He was telling me about the things he did while he was an apprentice. He told me how he and Jadeclaw were so close, Adderstar, a new leader at the time, gave them similar warrior names.

I nodded and smiled the whole time until Nightclaw finally seemed to back out of his trance. "So you want to know what the Clan thinks we are doing, right?" He asked. His voice had lost some of the carefree tone he had used throughout his full story.

"Of course I do," I responded, feeling like everything was back to normal. "I have only been asking for the last several minutes."

Nightclaw swallowed a snarl and answered my question. "Adderstar told everyone we were hunting a mother fox in the marshland."

I gave myself a victorious smile. Pinepaw will be feeding the queens thinking about the fun I'm having on a fox hunt. "He is going to be so jealous," I whispered to myself.

"No he won't," said a voice from behind me. I turned around only to see tree roots and the blackberry bushes. The only noise was the leaves blowing in the slight rustling of the wind. The forest was eerily quiet.

Nightclaw must have heard because he unsheathed his claws. I heard a small hiss from him when he felt the gap where the missing claw would go. "We aren't weak kittypets," he called into the quiet trees. "and we aren't loners who hang around causing trouble."

"Neither are we," said the voice. From the tree tops, a light ginger she-cat leaped nimbly from branch to branch until she landed quietly onto the ground. "I'm Danger," she said with a ring in her voice, "and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

Nightclaw let out a short, dry laugh. "Breezepaw and I can beat you with our eyes closed. We don't take well to intruders of she-cats, so I suggest you get going." My mentor paused for a second before adding, "now!"

Danger responded with a high pitched laugh of her own. "Rose, why don't you introduce everyone," he hollered up to the branches.

I gave him a skeptical look. "I think OakClan toms could beat whatever cats you have hiding around here. They would be no match for us. They are weak for following a she-cat."

I should have kept my mouth closed because as soon as I finished, cats came pouring down from the overhanging branches. The amassed fighters consisted of both toms ans she-cats.

Nightclaw looked at all the cats around him and sheathed his claws. "So Danger," he said. It sounded like he was choking on the words. "I think we should talk about this."

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><p><strong>I'm sorry this is so short, but I'm going away this weekend, so I wanted to post another chapter. I have answered all my questions on my blog, so please visit. There is a link on my profile or on the last chapter. There might be one more Breezepaw chapter before I move onto Brightkit.<strong>


	5. Dragged

**My thanks to (Redwolf, Moonblaze 13, Marshmallowtime, Mintfrost29, Pipertrix, Hi there, TheVampLuvr1, The Last Sketch, SupahSplash34, Newlife of ThunderClan, and SilverWolf1499.) A lost of people were wondering, Danger is a random cat I made up. I have alliances for the rogues up in the alliances. I suggest you read them. **

**Character: Breezepaw of OakClan**

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><p><strong>Ch. 3 Dragged<strong>

Danger let out a short, small laugh. "We have nothing to talk about. It is really a simple concept. I have more cats than you do, a lot more. You have no negotiating powers."

"We can get help," I shouted at the ginger she-cat. "Back at camp we have tom warriors that beat up she-cats like you for fun. It would be an easy victory. It would take no time at all to beat weaklings like you all."

I was about to leap at the she-cat's throat when Nightclaw pinned my tail to the ground. "Don't do anything," he whispered in my ear. His voice caused a small shiver to run through me. "We aren't at camp surrounded by warriors. Make Danger feel like she is in control. Than we will strike while she is confident with her power."

I nodded slowly, never taking my grass green eyes off the leader. She would never see her death coming until it was too late. She would bleed under my paws. I could just imagine her life spilling out of her and staining the forest floor red with her blood.

"Rose," commanded Danger, "will you please separate our two toms? I think they will cause more trouble if they are together. The light brown tom-kit looks like he would be defenseless on his own."

Hearing myself mentioned, I unsheathed my claws and prepared to slash at any cat that came close to me. "I'm can fight for myself. I don't need Nightclaw to protect me; I'm not a kit. I haven't been a kit for several moons."

"Shut it, Breezepaw," my mentor scolded me. "I don't want you to say another word until we find out what these she-cats want from us. You could mess everything up."

I turned my head the other way and refused to look at him. I wished he would go back to his injured self, the one that told me stories. I turned to face him for the briefest of moments to snarl. For a second, I forgot we had a common enemy.

Danger quickly took advantage of our sudden hatred. I willingly walked away from Nightclaw and my only hope of a quick escape. No rogue had to force me to.

"Now," said Danger pacing in between me and my mentor, "We are going to take you up the river. I agreed to meet someone at the Twolegplace by sunset, and I intended to keep that promise."

Rose quickly led several more fighters out of the trees. She motioned for a little more than half of them to guard Nightclaw. The other half surrounded me.

All the cats looked at Danger, waiting for the final command. "Let's move out." she called. "I'm not going to meet Leopardheart late. Any cat that makes us behind schedule isn't welcome in our camp anymore."

A fluffy white she-cat in my guard gulped, and I saw her legs shake with fear. I knew that when I made my escape, she would be the one I would trick. She had weak kittypet written all over her.

Danger drilled her amber eyes into the she-cat. "I had some doubts about taking in a house cat. Don't make me regret my choice, Marshmallow."

Marshmallow locked her knees to stop her shaking. "It is nothing, Danger. It was just a little chill in the air."

Danger turned around and called over her shoulder. "I thought that thick fur of yours would keep you warm. I guess even I can be wrong sometimes."

The white she-cat fluffed her fur up and looked at the ground. A light brown she-cat walked up to her and put her tail over her shoulders. I saw her barely move to whisper some words in the kittypet's ear.

I had the most amazing luck. The cats that were charged with keeping me from escaping were a bunch of weaklings. Nightclaw didn't look like he was fairing so well.

The toms that were guarding him were studying him with their eyes. A black tom that looked liked Nightclaw's brother stood guard seriously. Unlike Marshmallow talking to the light brown she-cat, he ignored the others.

Like he knew I was watching him, Nightclaw shoot me a look that was filled with all the anger he was feeling. It felt safer to be with Danger than be alone with Nightclaw.

"Why aren't we going anywhere?" shouted Danger. "I could have sworn I told everyone to move out. Why are we still standing here? Time is wasting, and the sun is getting closer to setting."

None of her followers answered. Instead they looked at their paws and took their first steps forward. A dark gray tom shoved me from behind.

"Hey," I shouted, spinning around. "You are pushing the deputy's apprentice. I suggest you go back to just walking. I can walk without help, thank you very much. That was about all my mother taught me."

The tom backed off and let out a sigh. I let a growl escape my throat and walked with my head held high. I could see Nightclaw pushing around his guards. A peach she-cat tumbled to the ground.

"Rose," she called out. "Our prisoner keeps cuffing me on the head. His claws are sharp like thorns." Her voice was whinny and I could almost sense Nightclaw rolling his eyes.

The dark ginger she-cat seemed to be the second commander of the group. "Don't let him push you around. You are a she-cat. You are stronger than he is," she told him.

I let out a small laugh. "You can't honestly believe that for a second," I shouted to her. "She-cats are weak and useless. They are only good for raising kits."

A striped she-cat who walked to my right dragged her claws across my cheek. "I'm just as strong as you are. Maybe even stronger because you are the one captured, not me."

Danger called from the front of the column. "Piper, don't injure the goods. Petalstar pays better for fresh toms. You have been with us long enough to know that."

"Of course I know that," she called back. "I was just checking to make sure they were strong. We don't want them dying on the way there." Her smile was truly vicious.

Danger's scolding didn't help me because blood still dripped slowly down the side of my face. I could feel the warm drops slid across my smooth fur. I tried to scoop them up in my tongue, but I just couldn't reach.

I just left the cut be when a soft paw pressed against my face. I turned my eyes to see the cat who had moved to comfort Marshmallow. Where her paw had been, a delicate swab of cobwebs staunched the blood flow.

I looked at the pretty light brown cat and tore off the cobwebs. "I don't help from a she-cat. In OakClan, we don't die from a measly scratch. You might because you are a she-cat, but I'm stronger than you'll ever be."

That brought tears to the she-cat's eyes. A silverly blue tom picked his head up from one side of me. "Apologize to Moss right now. There was no reason to say that, no reason at all."

That was the breaking point for Danger. "I had better not have to turn around one more time!" she shouted to everyone. "I can always find more loners and rogues to do this for me. BloomClan is picky about who delivers there toms."

I saw Nightclaw recoil when Danger mentioned BloomClan. "Hey, Danger," he called out. His voice echoed among the quiet and scared rogues. "What is this BloomClan that you mentioned? Where do they live?"

"Don't you wish you knew," said Rose who replied before Danger could answer. "You'll know soon enough. After the Twolegplace, it is BloomClan for you."

Some of the she-cat let out a laugh, but the toms stared at us solemnly, like they knew something we didn't. "What?" I snapped at the silvery blue tom who had spoken to me last.

Instead of answering, he looked from Danger to Rose, than to the ground. "Can't answer that," he whispered under his breath. "I can't go back to being on my own."

I shook my head at the cowardly tom. I saw Nightclaw glance over and give the frightened tom a vengeful gaze than chilled my blood. The tom looked away and returned his gaze to his paws.

So, I was left to wonder what was going to happen to us as we marched upstream. The forest seemed to hold none of the beauty it had only hours ago. The sunlight that danced on the fallen leaves seemed to be just black and white. It lacked the vibrant shades of late newleaf.

As the sun moved to its peak, Danger allowed one short stop. "Nightclaw and Breezepaw," she commanded, pointing to us. "Splash, Moon, Wolf, and Flight will keep and eye on you. I expect the best behavior you little rebels can give."

Three of the four cats mentioned separated from the group and walked over to where Nightclaw and I sat. "She gave us two weak toms." smiled Nightclaw, his voice holding hope I didn't feel. "I have been watching them guard me all day. I bet you can take down both of them with even trying."

I nodded, completely forgetting that I had been furious with him earlier today. My stomach was growling and I was willing to listen to my mentor. He was the most intelligent cat in OakClan beside Adderstar himself.

"So I get Splash and Moon," I confirmed. "You get Wolf and Flight."

Nightclaw nodded slowly. "I haven't seen Flight at all. Rose keep calling out to her, but the mangy she-cat never answered. Shows that she-cats are unreliable fools. Never trust them." He told me. Splash and Moon looked at us whispering but never moved to stop us.

I stayed quiet and waited for the signal. It was impossible to act like nothing was about to happen. The wait was killing me, so when Nightclaw flicked his tail, I launched into the air with unmatched ferocity.

I flew towards Splash while Nightclaw threw himself at Wolf. A cry of surprise rose from the fighter's lips. The howl alerted the cats sitting at the river, drinking and eating some fish they caught. They would be coming quickly to help out their band.

Splash tossed me off his back, and I hit the ground with a sickening thud. My vision blacked for a moment, but it slowly returned. I almost wished it hadn't.

Danger's fighters emerged from the trees around me. Nightclaw was fighting with Wolf and the cowardly tom who refused to speak to me.

When everything was completely focused, I braced myself for the she-cats that raced towards me. When I could smell the fish on their breath, and leaped up in the air over their confused heads.

Piper skidded to a stop and looked up at me. The astonishment on her face made my day. She seemed to be rooted to the ground. She didn't move a fox length as I fell down on her.

I latched my claws down on her face. I could feel flesh tear beneath my paws as her scream ricocheted throughout the clearing. A shiver involuntarily racked by body and made my fur stand on end.

Soft Marshmallow tore at the flesh and fur on my back legs, and I felt myself drop to the ground. There was no time to pick myself up because another swarm of cats came over me. The smell of blood and sweat wafted past me.

Soon, I couldn't pick myself up from my paws. Blood coated my fur and made me a deep crimson color. Some was others, but I could feel mine seeping from too many cuts and wounds that slashed my fur.

My vision faded for a second, and I felt my eyes slip close. My sudden peace didn't last because Danger's claws dug into my shoulders.

"Where is Nightclaw?" she demanded. Her own cats stepped back when they her all her anger go into one quick demand. "I know you were planning something."

"Nightclaw is gone," I said. My voice sounded shallow and lifeless even to me. "And I am still in you clutches. He isn't here."

Danger shook me back and forth. "Are you messed up in the head?" She shouted to me. "I want to know where Nightclaw is. I promised two strong cats, not one battered weakling."

"I don't know," I spat in her face. "He was supposed to take me with him. He could be anywhere on OakClan territory. Why don't you send out your tormentors."

Rose appeared at Danger's right shoulder. "We don't want you to slip from out claws. You mentor already did, and we will pay dearly for that."

"What are you going to do than," I smiled at the helpless cats. "Are you going to drag me to you meeting place. I could run away anytime I want to."

"Ha," said Danger sarcastically. "I doubt you ability to stand let alone run away. Flight would be able to catch you in no time at all."

"I could catch him like an unsuspecting fish," called a voice from the branches overhanging the clearing that was soaked in blood. Leaves parted to reveal an face of a lithe white she-cat. "I almost caught Nightclaw."

"That doesn't matter if he escaped your grasp." scolded Rose. "Get down here help us tie up Breezepaw. We can't him fighting again. I don't know what will happen to Piper."

I looked over to where half the cats had looked. Sitting in a pool of blood was Piper. Marshmallow and Moss had covered her face in swabs of cobwebs. It didn't seem to help because puss and blood soaked through the freshest of the bandages.

"Look what you did," whispered the coward. "You are the age of my son when he died. He never would have done that to another cat. How can you even look at yourself?"

"She is a she-cat." I said like it was simple. These cats where all messed up to fight and work along side of she-cats. "Toms are superior. We have the right to kill a she-cat. StarClan gave us that, and I plan to use it before I die."

"Wise words," laughed Danger. "Bind him up."

Cats tore up pieces of grass and tied them around my paws. Bark rubbed against my leg and caused my fur to fall off in patches. Soon, it was so tight, I couldn't move.

"Stupid she-cat," I called out. "You would keep me tied up because you are afraid to fight me. Just like the cowardly silver tom who is good with words but is no good with his claws."

Danger sighed. "I have had enough with your talking. Fang, will you please silence him."

A white tom with black stripes that seemed to move as he walked out of the shadows approached me. His dark green eyes displayed no emotion. When he moved his paw to strike me, there was nothing I could do to counter attack.

My eyes were closed, but I could still feel the blackness surround me, and than I couldn't feel anything. The world seemed to disappear.

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><p><strong>I hope you like this chapter because Breezepaw is going to stop for awhile. Next will be Bloosomfrost when Nightclaw returns. I think the NightclawBreezepaw relationship is the best I have ever made. I really like the two of them. Please review and tell me what you think.**


	6. Resistance

**Thank you to everyone who patiently awaited this chapter. My aunt was in the hospital, so I couldn't find time to write. Here are my wonderful reviews who keep this story in my mind. (Marshmellowtime, Mintfrost29, Moonblaze 13, TheVampLuvr1, Snowtail, Phantomflower, Redwolf, ADHD kid in jail, SilverWolf1499, KTDLover, Newlife of ThunderClan, Daysky, SupahSplash34, Nightkill, Stormbreeze of WindClan, Scrougelover.)**

**Time: Day 1**

**Character: Blossomfrost of OakClan**

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><p><strong>Ch.4 Resistance<strong>

The moss was blocking any light that tried to shine through the entrance, so I had no idea what time it was. The sun could be completely beneath the horizon for all I knew.

It seemed like forever since Breezepaw had brought us our morning meal. We were all laying down, conserving our energy until the toms arrived with our second meal.

"Do you think Snowpaw will bring us out nighttime meal?" asked Skyfrost. "Than I could get the big sparrow. Blossomfrost only got it because Breezepaw loves her."

I let out a short, dry laugh. "You must be really messed up in the head if you think Breezepaw loves me. That mangy piece of crow-food would let me starve if Nightclaw didn't force him to feed me. Do you see those looks he give me?"

Moonfrost picked herself off the floor and walked over to us. "At least none of you have Pinepaw for a mate. You would think I was already Moonleaf by the way he was acting."

Waterberry and Gingerfrost moved over to join the conversation, but Moonfrost growled at them. "Don't even pretend to know what we are talking about. Spottedfire and Thornpaw don't beat you. Go back to your comfortable medicine den where you are fed three meals a day."

The two medicine cat mates turned tail and fled the queen's den. Snakeleaf and Serpentleaf purred from their place across the den. Shadows slanted down their already dark faces.

"You were very good right there," said one of the she-cats. I couldn't tell which because of the lack of lighting. "Maybe you should join our resistance."

The three of us turned to look at them. I even caught Brookleaf sneaking a glance. I could see hope surfacing in their faces as I'm sure it was in mine. The closest thing to a resistance was Breezepaw's two sisters running away, or attempting to run away.

"We'll be killed like Redfrost and Shadowfrost," exclaimed Skyfrost. "I would much rather live here than be dead. Anything is better than death." She shuddered, probably imaging our bodies frozen stiff and plaster in dried blood.

I shook my head at Skyfrost. "I don't know about Moonfrost," I said. "But, I'm all for this resistance. Anything to get away from this prison."

Moonfrost looked all around the den, her eyes capturing everything speck of dust and mislaid hair. The cold pool of water in the corner seemed to capture her gaze. Suddenly, she turned her damp grass green eyes on every she-cat in the den.

"I think you are weakling if you don't want change. Even in StarClan, she-cats are seen higher than we are seen here. If you are scared to join Snakeleaf and Serpentleaf's resistance, you are just resigning yourself for a lifetime of abuse and beatings." Her voice seemed to burrow its way into my very heart.

I even saw tears rolling down Skyfrost's dusty silver fur. The trail of water left clean silver groves on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but than closed it.

Brookleaf put her tail around her. "I know you are young and naive, but you know to do what your heart is telling you to do. Snowpaw will only get crueler as time goes on. I know you already see the change in him from when you both were kits. He yells more often, doesn't he."

Skyfrost shook her head as she buried it into Brookleaf's golden tabby fur. A small spasm shook her, and tears puddled on the ground.

I moved to pull her from her despair, but Moonfrost pulled me back. "She needs to experience this. If she ever doubts our cause, she'll remember this. She will be with us till the end."

The mention of the end filled me with dread. "We will live our lives free or die trying," I muttered under my breath. "StarClan might not except us, but it will be better in the Dark Forest. At least we will be in the forest than."

A silver face emerged and looked at me with innocent eyes. "What did you say about StarClan?" Skyfrost choked on her tears, but managed to spit out her question.

I looked around at the other cats there. Snakeleaf drew her claw across her throat, and Serpentleaf shook her head. 'Lie,' she mouthed to me.

"Are we going to be honored in StarClan?" she asked me. "Are are descendants going to sing our praises? Will we be remember as saviors forever?"

I looked at the stones to the right of her head, not having the guts to lie to her face. "We will be welcomed into StarClan with the greatest of celebrations. Kits will look into the sky and wonder which star is you soul." The words felt like bile crawling up my throat, but Skyfrost didn't seem to notice.

Her silly smile made me feel even worse. She had swallowed every word I had said. I opened my mouth to tell her it was all a lie, but I heard loud paw steps outside the den.

That was when Pinepaw burst through the entrance. He flung the delicate overhanging moss to the side without a care. I saw Brookleaf scramble to scavenge it. Whatever Pinepaw wanted, at least we would have a comfortable nest tonight.

"Moonfrost," he shouted. His voice ricocheted across the bare stone walls. "I want you to come here right now. We have to talk about something." When he saw she hadn't even turned around, he added more force to his voice. "Now!" he yelled.

Moonfrost quickly whipped around to face him, and I moved to stand beside her. "Did Adderstar give you permission to take her out of camp? I highly doubt that," I snarled to him.

He didn't know half the reason I was furious with him. We were on a breakthrough for she-cat freedom. Moonfrost started the moss rolling, and we were riding on it like the flowing river.

Snakeleaf and Serpentleaf also jumped to their paws. "I can't believe our brother would give permission to you, out of all apprentices. You might be the oldest, but you aren't the smartest. Breezepaw got picked to go fox hunting, not you. "

He drew his claws open and walked towards the sisters. "Breezepaw only got picked because his mentor is the deputy. Also, Adderstar probably wanted be here for my warrior ceremony." His haughty voice was laced with the tiniest strand of doubt.

"So what," laughed Snakeleaf. "That doesn't give us any reason to believe Adderstar is allowing you to take Moonfrost out of camp. That is a warrior's privilege."

Pinepaw finally reached the two sisters who dared insult him and drew his claw across their muzzles. "Adderstar gave me his permission. He said I have to prove that I'm worthy to be a full warrior."

Blood ran down their faces, but they stood strong. "I'll tell Talonfoot that you did this to me," whimpered Snakeleaf. I could see she was fighting to stop the tears that threatened to spill over.

"Talonfoot doesn't care what happens to you," laughed Pinepaw. "To him, you are just a normal she-cat to be beaten and abused." He turned around to leave when he was pushed roughly to the side by the three brothers.

Talonfoot, Jadeclaw, and Patchwhisker walked into the den. Their very presence seemed to intimidate Pinepaw. He tried to hide himself in the shadows that appeared in the corners.

The warriors would have none of that. Patchwhisker jokingly stuck his paw into the shade and fumbled around. Pinepaw must have been embarrassed because he walked right out with his eyes watching his paws.

"Do whatever you want to me," he shouted to the warriors. "I was only doing what Adderstar was telling me to do. The sisters deserved everything I said to them." His voice seemed to dip as Talonfoot started to slowly circle him.

"What were you saying about my mate," Talonfoot said calmly to the apprentice. He walked over to Snakeleaf and slowly ran his tongue over her bleeding muzzle.

Snakeleaf let out a small growl but made no move to get away. I think she was secretly enjoying her mate showing a little care for her.

Serpentleaf backed slowly away from her sister. "She could show a little honor," she whispered into my ear. "That is just the opposite of what we're planning on doing."

"Who cares about Snakeleaf and Talonfoot. We are trying to stop Pinepaw from having his way with Moonfrost." I shouted into the air. The lies and plots were just boiling inside of me. I had to release some steam, or the pressure would become to much.

Talonfoot returned his attention to Pinepaw. "You beat my mate and tried to take your mate on a walk. Get outside now! You don't deserve whatever reward Adderstar was trying to give you."

The apprentice ran out as fast as his paws could carry him. His fear didn't stop him from smacking a fisted paw onto Moonfrost's leg. "You're a lucky she-cat," I heard him whispered as he fled the den.

Moonfrost tumbled into the corner next to Skyfrost. "I thought I would end up like Ivyfrost in the nursery at such a young age. I thought the little freedom I have was going to end."

To my complete shock, Skyfrost was the strong one. "No, Moonfrost," she said with obvious determination. "You won't end that way because we will resist. In the end, she-cats will have the same rights as toms."

Talonfoot and Patchwhisker didn't notice the little speech Skyfrost was giving. They were too busy talking to their mates. Sweet words under laced with threats filled the silence.

Our den would be darker tonight, that was something I could grantee. Nothing else seemed to be certain now. Everything was on the brink of change.

Jadeclaw didn't have a mate though. He seemed to be staring directly at me. His dark blue eyes seemed to penetrate the outer wall I had put around myself as a shield. It felt like he was looking into my very soul.

He didn't seem to realize that Moonfrost and Skyfrost were plotting his very demise. All his attention was focused on me. I gathered my courage and looked him straight in the eye. Blue meet green.

No one else noticed the battle going on between us. The air felt hot and sticky and static was flying through the air. His eyes were bold and daring, but I refused to look away.

I was taken by surprise when he suddenly spoke. "Blossomfrost," he said, still making eye contact. His voice wasn't loud, but all other sound seemed to die away. The dripping of the water and chirping of the birds disappeared. "Adderstar wants to meet with you. Will you please come with me?"

His voice suggested that he didn't care if it didn't please me; I was to come with him because he commanded it. He was the tom, and I was the she-cat.

Talonfoot and Patchwhisker batted their mates away and rejoined Jadeclaw. "Adderstar wishes to speak to you about Breezepaw. He said you life hangs in the balance."

None of the she-cats resisted as Jadeclaw tugged me away. Moonfrost put up her paw and covered it over her heart. 'Stay strong,' she mouthed to me. I just sent a weak smile to let her know that I saw her message.

When I walked out of the den, I took in the beautiful scenery that filled the air around me. I hadn't been outside the she-cat's den for several moons. It felt magical when the slight wind ruffled my white and brown fur.

The sparse sunlight shown through the branches and bathed the clearing in a soft, golden light. I wanted to be a part of this beauty forever. When the resistance ended, I would sit outside everyday and watch the sun set beneath the horizon and sink into the trees.

My dream came to an end when Jadeclaw tugged on my leg. "Hurry up you she-cat," he scolded. "I don't want to keep Adderstar and Nightclaw waiting. I have lived in OakClan all my life. I don't plan to start as a rogue now."

I chocked on the dread that filled my mouth. I was meeting with both the deputy and leader; this was serious. My brain raced through all my memories of Breezepaw as I tried to remember what might have caused this meeting.

Nothing came to mind as we approached the giant cave that served as Adderstar's and Nightoak's den. The giant stone stared down at me menacingly. It seemed to stretch into the sky the closer we got to it.

When we reached the entrance, the three brother stopped. "You are to go in by yourself," commanded Jadeclaw. His brothers didn't say a word as they turned back toward the center of the clearing.

I risked a look back and saw a dark gray head with black and white spots peering from the queens den. Blood dripped from swelling wounds above her solemn blue eyes. Four kits pranced around her paws.

The sight of Blueflower melted my heart, and I promised I would stand strong through whatever punishment the leader and deputy set up for me. I would remain strong for her and her innocent and naive kits. Maybe they could grow up in a world different from this one.

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><p><strong>I have a fully completed timeline. If you noticed, I will include the day along with the character. Blossomfrost will be the next chapter again. We might see Breezepaw and than Brightkit. Please review because you know I love reading them.<strong>


	7. Tumble

**I'm sorry that BloomClan hasn't been featured yet. It will probably be another 3-4 chapters before they are even introduced. BloomClan just happens to play a bigger role in the second half of the story. Here is the thanks to my wonderful reviews. (Marshmellowtime, Moonblaze 13, Scrouglelover, Mossshine, Redwolf, TalonfootandRipplestream4Ever, Snowtail, KTDlover, SilverWolf1499, Mintfrost29, SupahSplash34, Randomcat, ADHD kid in jail, Brightcloud of the Clans, Phantomflower, and a random person you didn't have the guts to put a name.)**

**Time: Day 1**

**Character: Blossomfrost of OakClan**

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><p><strong>Ch. 5 Tumble<strong>

I stepped inside the dark den and blinked rapidly. My eyes had already grown used to the thin light in the clearing, and they hated to be plunged back into the darkness. It wasn't long before the faint glow from behind me enabled be to capture my surroundings.

It had the same look as the queen's den, but moss layered the rocky ground. The ground molded under my paws. It cushioned my paws, and I let out a small sigh at the comfort.

A monotone voice echoed blew the seemingly endless tunnel. "Continue walking forward." The rest of the message was lost as echoed voice covered the remainder.

I did as the voice commanded and walked down the tunnel. My shadow danced along the wall beside me, and I curled my tail to my side. The chill of the tunnels didn't seem to sink into my fur as much as before.

The farther I walked, the less light shown from behind me. Now, the only lightning seemed to come from the slightly glowing moss that decorated the ceiling and walls.

I was watching small brown beetles crawling around the dripping salacities when I stumbled over a couple loose stones. The ground beneath me dropped suddenly, and I felt myself stumbling down a steep incline.

Rocks scraped against my fur and I felt my tail begin to bled after a boulder smashed against it. My paws failed at grappling onto any protruding rock The slippery moss made them slid quickly out of my grip.

I felt like I was going to break all the bones in my body when I hit the ground. Spottedfire wouldn't heal me, and Waterberry didn't have any training. I would die down in the dismal tunnel.

Suddenly, my legs jarred, and I slammed into the ground. I felt my joints crack, but my bones felt intact. I rolled to the side and felt a soft, comforting presence on my side.

A patch of eerie glowing moss had cushioned my fall. I buried my face in it and thanked the Dark Forest for my good fortune. Redfrost and Shadowfrost must have been looking down on me.

When the sudden agony had worn off, I shakily rose to my paws. I was about to start again when my legs buckled under me. I fell face first on the ground.

I scrambled around trying to find my bearings. None of my muscles seemed to want to obey me. They felt like feathers floating in the breeze; they didn't have any direction or strength.

It seemed like I lay limp on the ground forever. The last time I had something to eat felt like moons ago. I felt just like laying there and giving up. Adderstar and Nightclaw were probably laughing at me. I could picture the comments about weak she-cats.

"No," I said aloud to assure myself that I was still alive. "I will get out of this situation I got myself into. She-cats are just as strong as toms." I whispered the last part to myself encase Adderstar was watching from somewhere.

I struggled again off the ground. My vision swam and I almost fell over again, but I locked my knees. I wavered for a second, but I didn't fall. The tunnel disappeared into a black fog. Nothing seemed to make any sense.

Than I heard a sound of dripping water. I reminded me of Skyfrost sitting in the water because she didn't want to face the toms. It reminded me of Ivyfrost begging for a drink when we were just kits. It brought back memories of torture.

This was bigger than me. I finally grasped what Moonfrost had been depicting so vividly. My pain didn't matter because no one would remember. What matter was whether or not I freed she-cats.

I took one step for the puddle and soon I couldn't stop my paws. I was tumbling over myself in a frantic rush to reach the water. My paw nearly caught on a stone I had dislodged.

It took the rest of my strength to stop from skidding across the rough stones and scraping myself up even more. I didn't have enough power to save myself from a drenching.

The ice cold water chilled my skin and froze the blood in my veins. The sudden change in temperature shocked me, and I found I couldn't move my paws from the bottom of the pool.

A spatter of water on my ears brought me back to the world. I bent down a took a huge swallow of the chilled liquid. It blazed through my body and filled me with energy I didn't know I possessed. It felt like flying when I strode out of the puddle.

I walked to the base of the monstrous hill I had taken a tumble down. My paws stood on the same moss that had saved my life. Tunnels streamed off in various directions.

Having no clue what direction to take, I opened my mouth and scented the air. I had never tried this before, but Breezepaw or any of the apprentices did this as they entered the she-cats den.

Delicious and vile scents blew into my mouth. I could taste a mouse and a thrush that must have be carried by Adderstar. I followed the scent as it flowed through the tunnels.

Before long, I felt myself walking uphill. The incline wasn't too steep, but it burned the muscles in my already weakened legs.

When a small beam of sunlight shown through the tunnel, I gave up all thoughts of stopping. A bright everlasting hope seemed to blossom inside my chest. Maybe I had escaped Adderstar and Nightclaw and had somehow ended up outside the camp.

My hopes were dashed to pieces when I saw a shadow of a small cat silhouetted on the wall. There was no denying that it belonged to OakClan's cunning leader, Adderstar.

The shadow turned and a voice traveled down to me. "So you didn't die on your trip here. That is rather inconvenient. At least I will have something to show the weaklings tomorrow."

I shivered involuntarily. The voice burrowed into the very marrow of my bones. It was the casual cruelty that I feared the most.

"Come on she-cat," spat Nightclaw. "We have something important that we need to discuss with you. You have kept us waiting quite a long time."

I followed the voice, and I gasped when I felt my paws on soft grass. The morning dew had evaporated and the ground was warm on my paws.

The tunnels had led to a beautiful clearing. Yellow and fuchsia flowers blossomed along the tall bushes that encircled the clearing. A strange tree with purple leaves sent small pink petals flying though the air. I almost laughed as one landed on Nightclaw's head.

The cerulean blue sky was cloudless. Nothing towered above to obscure the sunlight. It warmed my heart, but the heat and beauty didn't last forever.

Adderstar eyed me disdainfully despite the fact that he was about my size. Serpentleaf and Snakeleaf were probably larger than him. Moonfrost would tower over him.

"Have a seat over in the corner," demanded Adderstar. His voice was calm and showed no sigh that he hated me. It flowed out of his mouth as smooth as a light breeze.

I looked to where he was pointing and heaved a sigh. It wasn't covered in sweet grass like the rest of the clearing; my seat was a collection of flat rocks and overbearing weeds.

Before I even got comfortable in my new position, Adderstar started to speak. He slowly paced back and forth in a circle in front of me. "You must already know that I sent Nightclaw and Breezepaw on a fox hunting mission, right?"

I didn't trust my voice in front of the fearsome leader, so I just nodded.

"Well, I know you she-cats have weaker hearts than us toms, but I'm going to say this straight. Breezepaw is dead." His voice was completely serious, and he looked me dead in the eyes.

I looked into his one blue eye with no emotion in mine. Surely he knew that having no mate was the best thing that ever happened to me. I would be free with no tom to oppress me.

My heart plummeted when Nightclaw spoke. "We considered giving you Hawkpaw or Blackpaw as a mate, but we both decided against it. You she-cats are getting too rebellious. You need something to quell your fire."

"And, Breezepaw's death gave us the perfect opportunity." Adderstar's vicious smile was starting to make me nervous. Had he discovered the resistance?

"You are to be killed tomorrow at sun-high," they announced at the same time. There was an almost gleeful tone in Adderstar's voice.

I was still smiling until what they really said hit me; I was to be killed... tomorrow …... at sun-high. My face dropped and my hope faded like the light at nighttime.

"Now," concluded Adderstar. "Go back and tell you she-cats about you fate. If that doesn't crush their rebellious spirit, I'll just have to kill Tawnyleaf's only kit."

"Poor Rainkit," whispered Nightclaw into my ear. His cold breath tickled my hairs and sent a vision of a little cream-colored kit splattered in her own blood.

"Be a good she-cat and walk back to the queens' den. There you go." Adderstar pushed be back into the shady tunnels system. He dug his claws into my back leg and pierced my skin. "Remember you promise."

I walked through the tunnels with a trail of blood winding behind me. Nothing seemed to make sense. As much as I despised Breezepaw, I had to admit, he was a decent warrior. He wouldn't die if Nightclaw was with him. The facts weren't adding up.

I gave up on thinking, and tried to work on getting out of the cave system. The winding tunnels seemed larger and darker than ever before.

Not even as I climbed the incline did I stop. The lack of blood had slowed me to a crawling pace, but I hadn't stopped. My neck was weak, and I walked the whole distance with my eyes staring at my paws.

Only the light from the OakClan clearing made me look up. I felt lightheaded, but I couldn't stop now that I was so close. Moonfrost and the other queens needed to know.

Mintswip was at the entrance waiting for me. I breathed a sigh of relief. Mintswip was the nicest warrior in all of OakClan. I don't think I could have dealt with any tom besides him.

"Blossomfrost," he shouted to me. "I'm supposed to escort you back to the queen's den. I hope Adderstar and Nightclaw weren't too rough on you. Maybe you should see Waterberry for that cut on you leg." He silently whispered the last part, afraid for other toms to hear.

"Maybe later," I said while smiling weakly. "I really just want to get back to my nest. I'm rather tired."

"I understand," said Mintswip. "You must feel like I do after dawn patrols. All you need is a night of sleep. You'll be up and roaring in the morning."

I didn't say anything but pushed aside the moss to the queen's den. I was about to disappear inside when I saw Mintswip turn slowly away.

I rushed outside, avoiding the weird looks that came from the tom-kits playing near the fresh-kill pile. "Mintswip, Mintswip," I hollered to him. "I just wanted to thank you for that small amount of kindness. It is just that I'm going to be killed tomorrow."

Mintswip turned around and looked at me with a curious expression on his face. "Adderstar said he was going to kill you? Are you positive?" He voice was filled with grief and honest remorse.

I nodded, looking straight at my paws. Tears were slowly leaking from my eyes. "He said at sun-high tomorrow." My voice chocked up in the middle as I tried to hold back that tears that threatened to flood the whole forest.

Mintswip looked around at the clearing, stopping his glance to look at the kits. He must have decided they were too far away because he bent down and whispered into my ear. "Follow me. I'm going to take you out of camp. Adderstar just went over the power StarClan gave him."

I nodded mutely, unable to believe this was really happening. Mintswip was going to take me into the forest. I was going to be the first free she-cat since Redfrost and Shadowfrost.

I trailed after his tail when a horrid thought entered my head. "What about the other she-cats? We can't just leave them hear to suffer. Adderstar said he would kill Rainkit."

Mintswip turned to me, and I could see the cruelty that was in every tom rise to the surface. "Blossomfrost," he said harshly. "You are the only one that matters. The rest will come later."

When I backed away, he softened up. "I'm sorry Blossomfrost. I just have never done anything like this. I just keep thinking Nightclaw or Adderstar will jump from the shadows and catch me."

I put my tail on his shoulder like I was comforting Ivyfrost when she found out she was with kits. His fur felt the same as mine. "We aren't different at all," I said quietly to myself.

"What did you say?" asked Mintswip. "Was it something about what we are doing. I can take you back if you want. No one needs to know."

I shook me head, too weak and too tired to explain all the thoughts flying through my head. "Nothing, Mintswip. Nothing important."

Mintswip nodded but didn't answer as we continued our march through the wild grasses. A silence descended upon on. I could hear the chirps of crickets and the howling of an owl. The sounds I had only dreamed about when I saw stuck in the cave.

My legs were screaming in from a dull never ending aching. It felt like they were slowly burning up until all that would remain would be a pile of ashes. My stomach growled loud enough for Mintswip to hear.

"We are almost at the Twoleg path. I'll catch you something for diner when we get there. If we stop, who know what might catch us," he said to me, breaking the peaceful silence.

I gave no sign I had heard; I was just to tired. The word started to spin, and I had to work to keep my eyelids open. I stumbled over a thick patch of grass, and Mintswip had to lunge for me to prevent me from collapsing.

"We'll stop here for the night," he said, laying me on a patch of soft grass. "Don't fall asleep until I get back. Promise me that much. Promise you won't fall asleep, Blossomfrost."

"Promise," I muttered. Even as I spoke, I could feel myself drifting into a welcoming sleep. It wrapped around me like a dry slab of moss. Exhaustion tugged at the corner of my brain, trying to force me into the abyss.

"No," I said to myself. "I can't fall asleep now. I promised Mintswip that much. I have to keep that promise because he helped me escape. I could be sleeping in the queen's den for the last time tonight. I could be getting ready to die. I can stay awake for a little while longer." I rambled to myself in a desperate attempt to keep my eyelids from collapsing and turning the black.

It must have worked because I was knocked out of my trance by the smell of a squirrel. Mintswip walked right up to me and placed it at my paws. "I'm sorry that was all I could find. Don't eat to much right away."

"Thank you," I mumbled, tucking the squirrel away. The juicy and tender meat was honestly the best thing I had ever eaten. "This is delicious." My thanks sounded kind of mumbled, but I think Mintswip understood what I was saying.

Mintswip turned around, gave me a pitiful look, and left me. "Remember, I didn't help you," he called out. That was the last I heard from him as his brown fur disappeared into the trees.

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><p><strong>The next chapter will be a short one featuring Blossomforst. That we should have Breezepaw for a few, and than Brightkit - finally. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and ask them if they could do it again. I'm really loving this story, so reviews will make me write the chapters faster than I have ever wrote before.<strong>

**I would like to take this time to advertise two fics. I'm betareading _Darkling_ by R.L. Sisters. It is a truly amazing story, but not that many people are reading it. The second story is _A New Fire _by Koraki. I think this story is even better than S H A T T E R E D. **


	8. Discovered

**I got less reviews than usual but still more than my other stories. Thanks to the people who stuck with me (Marshmellowtime, SupahSplash34, RedWolf, The Last Sketch, Mintfrost29, Mossshine, Brightcloud of the Clans, Phantomflower, LarkThatSingsAtDawn, Giggles Just Giggles, and Moonblaze 13.) You guys make me one happy writer.**

**Time: Day 2**

**Character: Blossomfrost of OakClan**

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><p><strong>Ch.6 Discovered<strong>

_Mist streamed around my eyes and I found myself sleeping the the nursery. The sweet scent of milk filled my nose. My mother, Squirrelleaf, ran her tail along my fluffy white fur. "Wake up Blossomkit," she whispered in my ears. "It is time to rise for the day."_

_I buried myself deeper into her warm fur. "No mommy," I whimpered. "Why can't I sleep a little more. Breezekit and Freshkit are still sleeping. Snowkit is too. Look at them all cuddled up. I want to be cozy like them."_

_"But Ivykit isn't," pointed out my mother. "Snowleaf already got her up. Why don't you follow her. You to can play hide-and-go-seek in the tunnels."_

_I poked my head up from her stomach. "You mean I can play a game. Can Gingerkit and Skykit join us? I won't get up if they can't." I put on my stubborn kit face and looked into her pale green eyes._

_Squirrelleaf sighed. "They are already back there. You will be found super easily if you are laying beside me." _

_I shoot right up. "Why didn't you tell me that right away," I said to her. "I would have woken up a whole lot quicker if I knew Ivykit was seeking already." I scrambled away from her and into the darkness of the cave beyond._

_"Ivykit," I called out, looking around for her or the other kits. "Where are you?" The darkness seemed to creep up on me. I had never been this far back without my mother. "Snowleaf, are you back here?"_

_A white paw emerged quickly from the shadow and pulled me towards an alcove. Another drew its self over my mouth and muffled the scream that tore from my throat. "Shh, Blossomkit, it is just me, Snowleaf."_

_I let myself be pulled back and I found myself looking into four pairs of eyes. I stared at them, and they stared back at me. "Are we going to play hide-and-go-seek?" I finally asked to release the tension that seemed to be building up._

_Snowleaf put her tail around my shoulders. "We are going to play the quiet game instead. You have to stay quiet until I come back, okay. If Adderstar or Venomleap hear you, you lose the game. Do you kits understand?"_

_We all nodded, even though I didn't understand why we couldn't talk. I didn't speak until I could no longer hear Snowleaf's retreating paws. All the other kits stayed quiet even though no one was there to make sure we followed the rules._

_"Why are we hiding," I whispered to Ivykit. "It was a nice day out. We could have played by the fresh-kill pile. We could even play hide-and-go-seek down here. It isn't that dark once you get used to it."_

_"Be quiet, Blossomkit," shushed Gingerkit. "We are hiding from the toms. Adderstar and your father are going to see if any of the toms are ready to be apprentices. We are much safer in here."_

_"Daddy wouldn't hurt me. He is my father, so he must love me, right?" I said, doubt lightly laced my voice. My resolve weakened when Skykit looked at me._

_"Venomleap doesn't love anyone," she said in her soft, quiet voice. "He even beat Squirrelleaf when you were sleeping. She was trying to protect you. Haven't you ever wondered where she got all her scars from."_

"Thats not true, that's not true," I muttered. I tossed and turned in my makeshift nest, spreading moss all over the forest floor. My claws marred the dirt ground.

"You're alright, honey," said a voice near my ear. "Nothing is going to hurt you now that I'm hear. I'll take you back to BloomClan where you belong."

"You're lying, Gingerkit. I know...," I trailed off at the end of the sentence. I peeked out of my eyes and saw bright sunlight instead of a barely lite tunnel. Only one cat was near me, a elderly she-cat with shimmering silver fur and a black underbelly.

"Good morning, Ivykit," she smiled at me. "I heard you mumbling your name as you slept. I'm Jay, and I was wondering what you are doing to far away from BloomClan. Does Petalstar know you are out here?"

I backed away from Jay, my weariness flying from by body like a frightened bird. She couldn't be working for Adderstar because she was a she-cat."My name is Blossomfrost," I revealed. That was as much as I wanted to say.

"Ivykit must be your friend then. Maybe she's one of Lightcloud's new kits," she said, completely ignoring the obvious signs that I gave her. "I really need to take you back to BloomClan."

I was about to say I wasn't apart of BloomClan when Jay offered me a freshly caught mouse. "Eat up, Blossomfrost. Petalstar would never forgive me if I returned one of her warriors in a weakened state."

I looked blankly at the plump mouse she placed in front of me. _Warrior, warrior, warrior. _She had called me a warrior. And Petalstar must be their leader, and she was a she-cat. Jay thought I was one of her warriors.

"Are you alright," asked Jay. "Did you hit your head on some branches? You're too used to fishing in the streams for your own good. I told Petalstar and Leopardheart that you needed more training in the forest. Did she listen to an old loner, of course not."

I dug into my food as Jay rambled on. It was surprisingly delicious, but it didn't help take my mind of what was happening to me. I was truly free. Mintswip, a tom, had helped me escape.

My whole world had turned upside down in one day. A tom had helped me, and I was eating with a loner who thought I was a she-cat warrior. And, I wasn't eating a scrawny sparrow, but a real, plump and juicy mouse.

"You're coming," called Jay. I raised my head from my breakfast and saw that she had already risen to her paws. "I thought I would come back with you. I'm getting too old to be walking around like this."

I took a deep breath and rose to my paws. "I wouldn't want Petalstar to worry about me. She would be lost without her best hunter." My legs shook as I rose, but I pushed aside the aches and pains from running through the tunnels and forest all last night.

"Well," cried Jay. "If we go quickly, we can make it to camp my midday tomorrow. Of course," she chuckled, "You already know that."

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><p><strong>I'm sorry this is short, but there wan't much more that I needed to say for Blossomfrost. Next chapter will be Breezepaw, and than we might see some Brightkit and BloomClan, finally. Don't worry about the ending being anytime soon. It should last between 15-20 more chapters. A lot will happen in 15 days. <strong>

**I have another story I want everyone to check out. The story is _Seer_ by dragonFELL. Please check it out after you review.**


	9. Alleyway

**I reached 100 reviews in just 8 chapters! I would like to thank all my reviewers ( Marshmellowtime, Mossshine, ADHD kid in jail, nightfangfox, Newlife of ThunderClan, Phantomflower, RedWolf, Mintfrost29, dragonFELL, The Last Sketch, KTDLover, Moonblaze 13, SilverWolf1499) I was really happy that you take the time to review. **

**Time: Day 3**

**Character: Breezepaw of OakClan **

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><p><strong>Ch. 7 Alleyway<strong>

A dull aching vibrated though my head. The smell of dried blood and Twoleg monsters made the agony even worse. It felt like it would explode from the build up of pressure.

I curled up into a tight ball with my paws over my ears in hopes to drown out the sounds. I cringed at the pain that shot through me with even the slightest movement.

The sound of distant monster crushed and splattered my ear drums into a million shards. When I thought the pain couldn't possibly get any worse, I loud voice sounded in my ear.

"Hey," it called, "have you come back around yet. I have been getting kind of bored with only Fox and Monster to talk to. They can't say a word without it becoming a fight." The voice was definably a tom, but the scent of she-cat was potent.

I pried open my eyes, but soon closed them as a ray of light shown in my face. Red spots danced before the smiling face of a tom. White light glistened on his fangs and blared into my eyes.

I batted my unsheathed claw at him in hopes that he would just move away from me. I pulled my arm back to my side when I felt scabs peel of and crimson blood forming at the edges. The pain from earlier now seemed complete.

Another voice piped up. "Let me get you some cobwebs to stop the bleeding. I really hope Danger left some because I hate the sight of blood. The metallic scent is the worst. It is just really, really horrible."

A third voice sounded from farther away. "I have some cobwebs over here. You have to be patient, they are stuck under some rocks. It will take longer if you keep complaining, Monster." The voice was replaced by a serious of grunts. I considered opening by eyes for a second, but put aside the notion when a shot of red streamed into my eyes.

A soft paw was placed on the oozing cuts on my flank. I resisted the urge to swipe, remembering that is wasn't Moss, but a tom cleaning up my wounds. The cool juices of some plant that Thornpaw would probably know chilled my cuts. I let out a sigh in obvious relief.

I relaxed into the treatment when a glob of spit splattered on my arms. I tore my arms away, oblivious to the searing pain that replaced the cool comfort.

"Who just spit on my arm?" I shouted. Heat rushed to my face when I saw a light ginger tom with small black ears standing over me. His hazel eyes were filled with confusion and sudden anger as he looked away from my wounds.

"I was just cleaning the wound. Would you rather get an infection? I personally wouldn't mind watching your arm swell to twice its size and seeing flies nesting in the festering skin," he snapped to me, his eyes gleaming with barely controlled fury.

"Um, Whisker," said the black and brown patched tom who hated the smell of blood. "Fox looks really angry at the newcomer. His eyes are doing that thing they were doing that time, you know."

He stood at the edge of a rundown Twolegplace. The crumbling stones walls stretching high into the sky. On one side, escape was blocked by a pile of garbage. The structure was too tall and steep to scale. On the last side was a metallic fence that formed in small diamonds that I couldn't even fit my small paws through.

Whisker, the snow white tom who had spoken to me first sighed, "What is up with you newbie? Rose and Danger dragged you in here tied up and unconscious. Blood was encrusted to you skin, and you reeked of sweat. I was here when Monster and Fox were brought in; neither had it as bad as you."

"I doubt Monster put up much of a fight," I chuckled. The tom backed away from me as Fox took several deep breaths. Even Whisker seemed to harbor deep hatred. "What," I shouted to them. "The little tom hates the smell of blood; I doubt he would fight for his freedom. Toms in OakClan would eat him alive."

Whisker was the first one to break the silence that had descended with a small chuckle. "You know we are being taken to BloomClan, not OakClan. There, the only thing a tom eats is prey his mate brings him. Your lucky if you even get that."

Fox finished bandaging and cleaning my wounds when he asked me, "Newbie, what is your name? We can't really be calling you Newbie until we get to our new lives."

I flipped around and rose to my paws. I could feel small droplets of blood trickling down my legs and seeping into the earth. "I'm Breezepaw of OakClan," I said haughtily.

Fox scrambled over to Whisker and whispered quickly in his ear. Both Monster and I strained to hear the silently exchanged words, but all the noises were mumbled together.

Finally the two broke apart, and Whisker looked at me with his eyes, now amber. "What is this OakClan you are talking about? We are curious to know if we might avoid becoming a mistreated tom by going there."

The look on Fox's face was pure confusion quickly replaced my indifference. I didn't miss the look of hatred in his eyes, but I assumed they were sent towards Monster.

Monster jumped up and started to pace around the three of us. "We can't do that," he yelled at us. "We will get attacked, and we'll bleed our guts out. I would much rather take my chances with the she-cats."

Fox's eyes changed back to their angry hazel. He slowly walked up to Monster, his pace causing the coward to bump into a silver Twoleg container that cluttered the area. A silver disk fell and clattered against the ground.

Monster winced and called out to Fox. "We don't need to do this. I'll fight for whatever you make me. Just don't attack me. Whisker, please stop him."

Whisker rolled his sky blue eyes. "Fox, why don't you come back here? I think Monster has had enough of a scare. It looks like his fur is going to fall off with all that shaking." His voice was calm, but I recognized the tone from Nightclaw from his kinder days.

Fox jerked his head and looked back at Monster. "Sorry bud," he said with a sleek smile. "Just didn't want anyone to squeal on our escape plan. You wouldn't to that, would you?"

Monster, who had started to walk back, retreated once again. "Of course not, Fox. I would love to hear about this OakClan. Tell away Breeze."

I ignored the fact that he called me Breeze and started telling these cats about OakClan: the sooner I told my tale, the quicker I could make my escape. I bet they could boost me on the silver Twoleg container, and I could jump over the barrier.

Whisker interrupted be before I could start. "What are you doing out here if you are a part of OakClan. I would still be at the pond if Danger hadn't ensnared me."

"Well, I was patrolling with my mentor when they came from the trees around us. We fought gallantly, but their sheer numbers overwhelmed us. Eventually we were forced to surrender if we wanted to fight another day."

Monster closed his eyes and curled into a ball. "I didn't fight when they came to capture me. It was just Piper, Thunder, and Wolf. The little she-cat was so mean to me. She made we weep crimson tears."

"Piper is a problem no more," I laughed. "Nightclaw, my mentor, and I acted liked docile little kittypets. They never saw the surprise attack coming. I launched myself on Piper's muzzle and scarred her permanently. Marshmallow didn't have enough cobwebs to even hope to stop the bleeding."

Monster screeched, "She didn't deserve that. I deserved to bleed. I didn't want to leave my comfortable cardboard box when she told me to. Don't tell me about anything." He quickly retreated to where I had first seen him, pressed against the decaying wall.

Fox snarled, his eyes flashing between amber and hazel. "Just ignore him, _Breeze_. He does that a couple times everyday. He'll snap out of it eventually. Maybe your tale will snap him out of it." He seemed to sneer at my name more than Monster's cowardice.

"In OakClan, we are ruled by our tom leader. Right now, it is Adderstar. He is a small tom, even smaller than Monster. He only has one ice blue eyes because his other was torn out by his rebellious mate."

"I told you it is dangerous," shouted Monster. "You could keep you eyes if..." He trailed off at the end because Fox drilled him with hazel eyes.

I staled for a moment and then continued when things calmed down. "The second most powerful cat is the deputy," I told them. "Right now, it is Nightclaw, my mentor. That means I'm the most powerful apprentice."

"What about the she-cats?" asked Fox, his voice calm and even, like he already knew the answer. "You haven't mentioned a thing about them yet. Do they always take out their mate's eyes."

I tried to envision Fox as a ginger version of Nightclaw, so I wouldn't set him off. "No," I said, my voice on the verge of cracking. "She-cats are kept in dark dens where they stay until we mate with them."

"Would we be welcomed there?" asked Whisker, his eyes alight with ideas. "I would love to see my tormentors in a dark den with no sunlight to be seen. After how long I have been kept in this prison, I wouldn't mind some revenge."

"I'm sure Adderstar would welcome you with open arms. You just need to provide some information on our captors. He would be thrilled to know whoever captured Nightclaw and I." I laughed evilly inside. The only cat from the trio Adderstar would even think of excepting would be Fox; the others had the appearance of kittypets.

"Here is the plan," said Whisker, beckoning for Monster to join us. "Danger and Rose said they plan to collect everyone soon. That is when we make our move."

Monster let out a small shiver. "They said see you tomorrow when they dropped Breeze off. Does that mean we have to fight tomorrow. I'm not ready yet; there was no time to prepare."

I snarled at Monster. "Shut up, and let Whisker talk. No one cares for your cowardly opinions." All the anger I had buried inside or me rushed to the surface. " You would betray your own father if it meant keeping your pelt safe. Adderstar would throw you to the fishes if you ever acted like that in OakClan."

Fox rose to his paws and unsheathed his claws. His one hazel eye blazed. "Let's get on with the plans, shall we. We just need to get out of here, then we will decide on what to do."

"Okay," outlined Whisker. "I heard from the local alley cat that Danger has a way of moving that silver fence. When they do, we bolt. Everyone got it. Use you teeth and claws is necessary. If they catch one of us, they have us all."

"No," cried Monster. "I don't care if I'm called a coward; we will get slaughtered if we try to do that. I'm too weak to fight, and I have been stealing the prey they bring while you sleep."

Fox's eyes turned to a deep, dark hazel. His fur fluffed up and his long claws dragged the ground. When he opened his mouth, a snarl ripped through the air. "I'll take care of you mangy piece of crow-food. Maybe I'll snack on your insides to satisfy the growls that have tore through my stomach."

As much as I hated Monster, I couldn't let him die because he would help me escape. "Fox," I shouted sternly. "Turn around right now. Why don't you attack Danger's cat who gave your food to Monster. Than, we can escape at the same time." I meant to sound cajoling, but my words came out as a rough hiss.

He turned away from Monster, his hazel eyes flashing towards me, a deep loathing boiled in the center. "Maybe I should get you, you filthy Clan cat. You though I knew nothing about your stupid OakClan. I know about you ruthless tyrants very well."

"Fox," said Whisker, an edge of nervousness inching into his voice. "Will you please back away from Breeze and Monster. Come over here, and we can all forget about what ever happened."

"Fox isn't even my real name. I was born Rustkit, but I was too small, even for your stupid leader. I was no kit of Adderstar and Whiteoak. They threw me into the marshlands beyond the Fox Rock." His tone made the response die in my throat.

Monster stood atop a Twoleg container, obviously believing he was safe from harm. "I saw a wild fox once," he announced. I wanted to wipe his newfound smile of his face. "It had horribly sharp teeth and reeked of death and decay."

"Well, I had to live with them. How I survived, I will never understand. Even now, I wonder if any of the stupid OakClan cats think about me. Does Adderstar even remember me?" His voice softened at the end, and I saw it as a time to strike.

"Whiteoak is dead," I shouted, recalling small snippets of the beautiful snowy she-cat. "Adderstar killed her without mercy. No one remember you, no one!"

"Than I will kill you with no mercy." He drew his claws along the ground and the noise screeched the air.

I with drew mine to match his challenge. I could sense everything around me: blood polling from my peeling scabs, a loud clatter from Monster falling from his roost, Whisker taking an intake of breath, and a sound of metal scratching on hard rock.

"I thought you said they would be docile little wimps. The ginger and the light brown one like like they are about to fight. I don't want them to teach out toms anything." The sharp words came from a stunning brown she-cat with delicate white paws.

Fox turned around, his eyes still blazing with adrenaline and pent-up energy. He eyed the she-cat with barely covered suspicion. "What do you want with us? I could turn you and Danger into crow-food in a second."

I was relieved that his anger had been redirected, but I didn't like the appearance of BloomClan, if that is who these strange cats were. "You are a pretty she-cat," I called to the one who had spoken. "Maybe we could go for a walk."

"You are small enough to be an apprentice. Petalstar would never give such a runt to a warrior like myself." The tone she was using suggested that she-cats were superior to toms in every way.

"Well, Fallowheart," spoke Danger as she appeared behind them. "I know they might be fighters, but the kits will be strong at least."

"Yes, Frostbreeze and Ivysky could use another mate. I want that ginger tom for myself." I could see Fox's eyes returning to their calm amber even through a snarl graced his lips. "Duskfern, Lilystrike, you can bring in Everpaw and Icepaw. They need to see how we trade."

"Hey," I shouted out. "I am not important enough for your weak little Clan. I'm the best fighter and hunter where I come from. You wouldn't want to see someone as handsome as me fester in this prison of yours."

"You can have him for half price," offered Danger., trying not to sound too pleading. "Just three pieces of prey, and he could be yours."

"I think you want to get rid of him," said Fallowheart cunningly. "Two pieces, or you get to keep all four and instead of twenty-seven pieces of prey, you get none. It is your choice." She motioned for her cats to leave when Rose spoke up.

"It is a deal," shouted Rose, like she couldn't agree fast enough. "We will even collect the prey at a later date."

"Good," smiled Fallowheart. "Icepaw, you need a new mate any way, don't you. Didn't Hawktalon die from a weak heart or some silly tom disease. Do you think feisty here can be yours?"

Icepaw nodded. Her pale blue eyes betrayed no emotion as I flashed my sharp claws at her.

"Well," said Danger, giving an irritated look to Rose, "why don't you round them up? Flight and Fang will help you out."

Whisker walked by me as a sleek, dark gray she-cat led him away. "Stay away from Fox until I tell him our escape plan. I don't want you to mess everything up." His calm voice eased the loathing I felt deep in my heart.

A white paws scarped across my face. "I don't like talking between the toms. Especially when the tom is a fighter like you."

"You are just a weak she-cat," I said, my rock-heard convictions slowly shattering. "I could overpower you at anytime I want to."

Just three words from her, and the world went black again. "No you couldn't."

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><p><strong>I think this was my longest chapter yet. Maybe I could be rewarded with more reviews. I have Junior Olympics this weekend, and I don't know if I have access to a computer. The next chapter will ne Brightkit, but it might be a little delayed. <strong>

**When I finished this story, would you read another I plan on writing called_ Color Splatter_. It is going to be about the messed up history behind Shadow, the founder of ShadowClan. She is born in a Twolegplace where cats are grouped and named by the color of their eyes. It is ruled by Black and White who are backed up my Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, and Purple. Every several years, a new Black and White are born, but this time, the leaders aren't ready to give up power. They issue and order than any cat black or white eyes be killed. That is when a new Black is born. Her mother is fearful and calls her Shadow in order to keep her alive. As she grows, the danger rises until one day, she is called to meet the reigning Black and White. They want to make her a collecter along with Gray, Silver, Mist, and the other undecided cats. As she flees the mercenaries, she meets up with Sky, a disgruntled Blue tom. Together they run into the forest where they meet Thunder, River, and Wind and are thrown into a battle unlike any they had at the Color Splatter.**

**That was a rather long summary, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested in reading. If so, there is a poll on my profile I would love for you to answer.**


	10. Gifts

**I would like to thank everyone because I got the most amount of reviews I have ever gotten. (Violetsong, Marshmellowtime, Moonblaze 13, The-Endless-Hourglass, SUPAHSPLASH34, Moonfur 10, Mintfrost29, Stormbreeze of WindClan, SilverWolf1499, Phantonflower, RedWolf, ScrougeloverBirdwing, LarkThatSingsAtDawn, KTDlover, The Last Sketch, dragonFELL, Princess of Xing, Peacemakr, Redleaf) I am finally giving you BloomClan.**

**Time: Day 3**

**Character: Brightkit of BloomClan**

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><p><strong>Ch. 8 Gifts<strong>

_Images flashed through my unconscious mind. A large flowing river, bigger than the small creeks that snaked around BloomClan's camp. White foam formed on the tips of dangerously large rapids._

_A creaking, aching sound echoed through the forest. When I made a move to run for it, I saw that my paws weren't their usual white, but a black as deep as the nursery at night. It rattled me up, but my dream-self kept running. _

_The strange paws didn't stop till they reached a towering, ancient maple tree. The broad leaves were almost as wide as I was. Some had fallen early, and the damp ground was littered with them._

_It was leaning over the bank of the river, its lower branches skinning the surface, creating small ripples. As I watched, more leaves bent down to reach the surface. In time, full branches were completely submerged._

_Than, the creaking and aching sound became louder. My eyes were drawn to the base of the tree where the ancient bark was beginning to crack and peel. The tree was slowly bending to the will of a greater being._

_When I thought it wouldn't bend any farther, it's weakened trunk snapped. It threw itself across the river and shook the earth on the other side. Jagged pieces of dried bark stabbed up from the stump._

_Not knowing why, I felt compelled to leap up onto newly fallen tree. On my first try, the bark shifted beneath my changed paws, and I tumbled back to earth. The landing jarred my bones, and it ached to stand back up._

_I aimed for the smooth wood on my second pounce. I sailed cleanly through the air, and my sharp claws latched onto the tree. Using a weak branch, I heaved myself up._

_I almost fell off when I saw a body emerge from a reddish leaves. It was a small white she-cat with brilliant green eyes and gray patches; an exact replica of myself. _

_"Hello Brightkit," called myself. I jumped back in surprise as a different voice came out of my mouth. To my amazement, it sounded like my leader, Petalstar. "There is no need to be surprised."_

_I wanted to shout out that there was a very good reason to be surprised; someone else was in my body. But I could see my mother scolding me, and all the toms laughing that I was no better than them. _

_Instead, I crossed over the fallen maple tree, determined to make use of my new, sharpened claws that graced my black paws. My fluid movements came to a stop when I looked over into the water at my reflection. It wasn't my face staring up at me; it was Petalstar's._

_Nothing seemed to make sense; I was in Petalstar's body and she was in mine. "Why am I you and you me?" I called out to my body. "What has happened to us."_

_She didn't answer my question right away. Instead, she bounced away from the cluttering of branches until she stood directly in front of me. It felt strange staring into my own eyes; it was like looking into a puddle. _

_Petalstar seemed to understand what was happening. "StarClan has shown you to me like Bloomstar was shown Riverstar. It is our gift for remaining above the toms." She sounded confident in her answer, but it just scrambled my brains even more._

_"Who is Riverstar," I asked. "Was she a previous leader? Was Bloomstar the first leader? Is she a brave she-cat Dapplemist told me about? The one who put toms in their rightful place- below she-cats."_

_Petalstar moved her kit head, and smiled my toothy grin at myself."Everything you said is right and wrong," she told me. "You have to discover the truth like I did. Nothing ever comes easy to the ones StarClan favors."_

_With those strange words, she pounced toward me and nailed onto my side. Her tiny body turned into a deadly missile that threw me off balance. My claws dug into the smooth surface of wood ans I tried to remain upright._

_But even though I had the body of a seasoned warrior, I still had the strength of a kit. My claws popped out of the soft wood, and I tumbled towards the lashing fury of the river._

_Before I could feel the bone-chilling waters encase me, a vision of a silvery she-cat and a tabby tom flashed before my eyes. The names Bloomflower and Oakfire seared into my mind._

When my eyes flashed open, I was shocked to find myself back in the nursery. Risking a quick glance at my paws, I was relieved to find them back to their normal frost white. The cool waters of the raging river were far away from my cozy nest.

My nest no longer seemed cozy to me. My mother's soft silvery fur was suffocatingly hot; my own fur was drenched in a cold, fear induced sweat. Soft moss placed by the toms was sticking to my fur.

Trying to find a cooler spot, I tossed and turned around in my nest. In response to my movement, my mother curled her fluffy tail even closer around me. I felt like I was being cut of from the endless supply of air.

I tried wriggling to escape the sudden heat wave, but I was just smothered more by my mother and the moss bedding. There seemed to be no escape from the boiling temperature,

Nearby, Fernkit nestled closer to her mother and in the process, pushed Pantherkit and stupid Duskkit to the side. The two toms squirmed as they got squished together.

Lightcloud slept through her kit's movements, but shifted in her nest. Her tail slackened around the kits , and I'm sure I could see a pocket for cool air to gather.

I tried the same thing on Moonstripe. I nestled close to her stomach, nearly swallowing some fur in the process. As I coughed up a fur ball, my mother shifted in her nest, just like Lightcloud. Her tail curled up into a compact little ball.

Finally feeling a breath of cold air, I scrambled out of the nest. The cold rock felt like a stone-cold river under my paws. The chill spread through my body like ripples in a puddle.

There was a cool breeze ruffling my fur and a unexpected shiver went down my spine. It came a a breath of relief from the extreme temperature.

My mother was sleeping like a rock, and she showed no signs of waking. My well calculated escape had been completely success full. The cool air that brushed against her stomach didn't seem to disturb her at all.

Never had a better time arisen to explore camp than now. I could peek my little nose wherever I wanted and no one would ever know. It was the perfect crime, in a certain sense.

Lightcloud's kits were settled down once again. My mate, Duskkit, was sleeping on the cold ground. I couldn't help but laugh as he shivered under his thin coat of black fur.

I tiptoed out of the nursery, careful not to disturb my mother or the other queens. Her tail curled back to its normal position at my disappearance, but she showed no other signs of movement.

At the back of my mind, a small seed of resentment was growing. My mother should know when her only daughter, her only kit, disappears. She should have realized that I was gone. What if...

I lost my train of though when my head started to pound. It felt like it was being run over my a monster and being attacked by raccoons at the same time. Twos words echoed over and over again.

_Bloomflower, Oakfire, Bloomflower, Oakfire, Bloomflower, Oakfire._

I curled up on the hard ground, praying to StarClan for the voices to disappear. They seemed to drag my unconscious thought to the surface. I had to bit my tongue to keep myself from screaming and waking the whole camp.

Just when I was positive death was coming, the voice quieted. As the pounding receded slowly into nothingness, I rose slowly to my paws.

My legs were shaking like they were when I stood on the maple tree bridge as Petalstar. I felt like running back to my mother, cuddling in her fur, and drifting into the night, but I knew sleep wouldn't come for me.

I wiped my mind of the names and tried to make my paws land as lightly on the nursery floor as I could. Thick layers of moss absorbed any sound I would have made.

Breezekit started to cry out in hunger as I walked by. I froze in the shadows, terrified that Stormbreeze would wake. Instead, she stuffed her fluffy gray tail in the kit's mouth. He let out a stifled mew then quieted himself.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My escape was almost ruined by a stupid tom that couldn't keep its mouth shut.

With anymore delays, I scuttled out of the nursery. The camp seem bigger, more threatening without anyone in the clearing. The shadows seemed to stretch from the dark corners and invade my small halo of vision.

It seems eerily quiet. Even the cricket's seemed to have dulled their harmonious music. Besides the murmurs of sleeping cats, the only sound was the gently rushing water. It flowed over the stones, wearing them away to nothing.

Feeling like I was being called to the river, I tried to make my way towards the exit. I could see the shadow of the camp guard standing alert against the light of the moon.

The silhouette turned towards me, and I dove into the shadows behind the fresh-kill pile. My heart was in my throat as I imagined how visible my white fur would be. I couldn't help but wondering if it would turn black if I willed it to.

It didn't appear to shift colors, yet the guard turned away. She had apparently lost interest in whatever lay inside the camp. I could almost hear her thought, _Just a stupid tom. I'll talk to them as a group later._

While my eyes were on her, another shape crept up behind me. I nearly jumped out of my paws when a claw tapped me on the shoulder. "Brightkit," said the voice. It wasn't loud, but it echoed around me in the still of the night.

I whipped around, prepared to run back to the nursery if it was one of the warriors. When I saw a creamy she-cat, I relaxed. "Oh," I sighed, exaggerating the tiniest bit. "I thought you were an actual warrior, Lynxpaw."

The medicine cat apprentice ducked her head. "Cloudblossom wanted to see... um ...talk to you. She mentioned something about black paws and a maple bridge. I couldn't make heads or tails about it." She ducked her and smiled remorsefully at the ground.

I let out a quiet, bitter laugh. "Of course she can't see me; she is blind. That is almost as bad as being born a tom." I felt a little bad at saying that because my mother was one of Cloudblossom's friends, but it was too late to take it back.

Lynxpaw didn't say anything, but it looked like she was biting her tongue. Instead, she motioned me over to the medicine den. My only sensible choice was to follow and beg Cloudblossom and Flamewhisper not to tell my mother.

Inside the den, Cloudblossom was wide awake. Bags were forming under her pale, blind eyes, but she looked wide awake. Flamewhisper was sleeping in the corner, his chest heaving rhythmically.

"I brought Brightkit like you asked," said Lynxpaw shyly. Her voice barely reached her mentor's ears, but it was more confident than before. "She was hiding behind the fresh-kill pile just like you said."

"Of course she was there," said Cloudblossom, exasperated. "Just because I can't see doesn't mean I completely clueless to what is going on. I just glad you found her before Spiritclaw decided to investigate. I wouldn't trust her to keep Flamewhisper safe."

"Do you want me to wake him?" she asked, speaking as though Flamewhisper had rights. "He needs his sleep after treating Adderblaze."

Cloudblossom seemed to delve deep in thought before speaking up. "Yes," she said softly. "I don't want to explain this twice. It would be a pain."

When Lynxpaw scrambled over to her mentor's mate's nest, I let out a small cough to remind them that I was still in their presence. The love of toms was clogging the air and choking me.

Cloudblossom turned to me, staring at the air with pale, sightless eyes. I couldn't repress the shudder that went through me. I felt like they were staring into my soul and dragging something to the surface.

_Oakfire, Bloomflower, Oakfire, Bloomflower, Oakfire, Bloomflower._

The names tore through me, and Cloudblossom seemed to hear them. "We have a lot to talk about, little Brightkit," she said to me. "I regret waking Flamewhisper up because we need one more cat."

Flamewhisper stretched his front legs and smiled warmly at his mate. "Why shouldn't I have been woken up, love?" I wanted to show him the true meaning of love; the love my slaughtered father showed my mother.

But I didn't. I couldn't because they all knew I had been sneaking around camp.

"Brightkit had a dream," smiled the medicine cat, looking in the direction of her mate. "She is going to stay here for the night."

"I don't want to stay here the night," I said, struggling to keep my voice down. "I'm not sick or injured, and the toms would see my staying here as a weakness. I can't have Duskkit growing brave."

Flamewhisper curled his tail around his paws. "I guarantee toms won't think any less of you because you stayed with us. And, we won't tell your mother you tried to go down to the river."

My mouth hung open as I realized I had been bested by a tom. The blind medicine cat's mate to make it even worse.

"We won't tell your mother if you stay," said Cloudblossom, sensing my reluctance to listen to a tom. "We will even tell we grabbed you because you showed signs of some illness."

A viscous smile graced my face. "It is a deal," I said.

"Oh," said Cloudblossom, sounding as if she had forgotten something. "You also have to talk to Petalstar in the morning. I know she will want to speak to you."

"No way you blind, old she-cat." I snarled at her, fluffing my fur so I appeared twice my normal size. "I'm not talking to Petalstar just because I sneaked out of camp. I'm not a stupid tom that needs to be punished."

"You don't really have a choice," said Flamewhisper calmly. "You already made a deal with us."

"I don't make deals with toms," I snapped back. "I would rather be scolded by my mother than have a meeting with Petalstar."_ Don't you know I stole her body_.

"You honestly have no choice," said Lynxpaw, speaking up for the first time. "You received Bloomstar's gift. That isn't something you can throw away."

"I can do whatever I want with this stupid gift," I shouted, not caring if the entirety of BloomClan heard me. "It is mine, not yours."

Cloudblossom gave me a worried look, her pale eyes filled with more emotion than I could understand. "Please stay here. It is just for one night. We made a nice bed for you."

Lynxpaw pointed to a fluffy nest in the corner. Between large pieces of moss was rare feathers that were softer than my mother's fur. I could even see a nice breeze regulating the air temperature.

"Maybe I'll stay just one night," I said. I quickly added, "that doesn't mean I will speak to Petalstar."

"Of course it doesn't" sighed Cloudblossom. She moved to her own nest as Flamewhisper lead me two my own.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to speak to Petalstar," he said to me quietly. "All the toms are scared of her."

"I'm not scared of her like a stupid tom," I said, offended by his nerve. "I will talk to her tomorrow, just you see."

With that, he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it is your decision. I would hate if you were too much of a wimp to carry through with your promises."

"I don't make promises to toms," I chuckled, haughty. "But I swear to StarClan that I will talk to her because I will never sink as low as to act like a tom."

When I said that, Flamewhisper walked to where Cloudblossom was sleeping, and I had a strange feeling that I had been tricked.

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><p><strong>This chapter basically sets the stage to why Brightkit is going to be important to the story. She will be in the next chapter with Blossomfrost. Surprise! We won't be seeing Duskkit for several chapters. Poor guy isn't very important until the very end. <strong>

**If you want a little background for the setting of her dream, read chapter 3 of _Tales Left Unwritten_. It will also mention the names that are driving the poor kit crazy. **


	11. Clawing

**I loved all the review I got, even if most you think Brightkit is a little brat. Well she is. Thanks to everyone. (Rowanshade, Mossshine, SilverWolf1499, ScrougeloverBirdwing, Shimmertail, Moonblaze 13, Marshmellowtime, BlackflameofPheonixClan, SupahSplash34, Phantomflower, Minfrost29, Princess of Xing, RedWolf, The Last Sketch, KTDlover.)**

**Time: Day 3**

**Character: Brighkit of BloomClan**

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><p><strong>Ch.9 Clawing<strong>

My eyes drifting shut and closing to the world wasn't a slow, gradual thing. One second I was tossing and turning like a raccoon was chasing me and the next, I was in a deep sleep. Still, the bliss didn't last.

At one point in the night, I shot out of the nest, cold fear coating my body like a second skin. A shiver racked my small body, but I couldn't figure out why. Nothing memorable filtered in my mind; no dreams stuck out. Calming down and losing interest, I fell into a light, fitful sleep.

Flashing images of a flowing river, clogged with crimson blood passed through my mind as I slept. They made light imprints,dissolving as quickly as they appeared, like footprints in the sand by the smallest stream.

The most prominent vision was a huge aerial view of the largest river. The water was turbulent, and I could see spray coming of the splashes. A fallen maple tree lay between the two banks, exactly like my dream.

On one side was a strong tabby tom. He held his head up high, seeming to demand respect despite the fact that he was a tom. More tomcats than I had ever seen stood behind him. Each looking into the sky. Than, the name rumbled through my head.

_Oakfire, Oakfire, Oakfire, Oakstar._

I gasped and flipped over in my sleep. Moss and feather scattered in my wake, falling on the floor and exposing my bare skin to the cold rock. I didn't feel it because another scene took over my dream scape.

I could still see the toms, but now, ranks upon ranks of she-cat were standing across the river, baring glistening fangs. A silvery blue she-cat stood at the front of the army, looking like a true leader.

_Bloomflower, Bloomflower, Bloomflower, Bloomstar. _

As soon as the names were spoken, they whisked right out of my mind. Only an empty hollow remained. I could sense something was missing, but I couldn't find it.

My sleep from then on was wild. I thrashed around, throwing moss every-which-way. My eyes and senses were closed to the world, but I was getting no rest in my crazed sleep.

A cold wind hit me, and I tried to nestle into my mother's soft fur. As I cuddled deeper into the moss and feather that remained, I scraped my nose against a rough surface. I quickly pulled away, trying to lick my nose.

That is when I noticed my nest had been completely destroyed. I let out a fake sigh when I realized that someone would have to clean in up.

"Wake up Flamewhisper," I called, my voice sickly high-pitched. "My moss and feather bed is all messed up. I should have just gone back to my mother; the treatment here isn't any good."

A sleepy ginger tom trudged out of his den. A piece of moss hung out of his fur and some was stuck under his tiny claws. "What can I do for you, Brightkit?" he yawned. "Are you ready to see Petalstar already?"

"Of course not," I snarled to him. My ferocity decreased greatly by the huge yawn that cut my words in half. "I just need you to fix my bedding."

He bent down to gather the fallen moss, but he looked up at me with his deep green eyes. "You really should treat toms better. That mate of yours won't be weak and soft forever."

His words hit somewhere deep in my heart, but I pretended not to notice. My mother hadn't treated her tom well, and he had attacked her. I would never know my father, not that I really wanted to anyway; it was the missed opportunity that hurt so badly. "I asked you to fix my nest, not give me useless advice."

Flamewhisper ducked his head and continued his work. Real pain shown in his vibrant green eyes, like I had just clawed him. I felt _I'm sorry_ rising in my throat, and I had to choke the words down.

"Oh," I said, carefully directing us away from the conversation. "I also need Cloudblossom. I scraped my nose on the wall because of this horrible draft."

The second highest tom stepped away from me and disappeared into the back. Some pieces of moss still lay on the floor, and I was forced to pick them up myself.

Echoes came from the sleeping dens. The words were distorted from bouncing of the crooked walls, but I was sure Flamewhisper was waking his mate. I pretended to hang my head, act all worn out.

My nose was actually bleeding quite quickly and a dull agony was present. It felt raw, like a warrior had just shredded it.

Instead of seeing the medicine cat appear from her nest, I heard the patter of her apprentice walking over to me. Her tiny claws sounded like water splashing from overhanging leaves.

"Cloudblossom is still sleeping. She is very tired from dealing with you last night," she told me. "I'll have to get whatever you need." She paused for a second before speaking again. "You do need something, right."

I rolled my light green eyes at her, and I tried to refrain from laughing at her stupidity. "Your wall attacked me," I told her. "I would like some herbs to put on it."

Lynxpaw scampered over to the shelves of medicines. "I think we have some marigold or dock leaves around her." she muttered quietly to herself. "That would soothe the wound and prevent infection."

"You can talk in your head," I called to her, my brashness returning fully. "I don't care what you're putting on it, just as long as my nose doesn't rot off." My voice was harsh, and Lynxpaw curled up like I had bitten her.

Another pair of paws sounded in the cluttered medicine den. A white face poked its way out of the dens and joined the two of us in the patient area. I could exhaustion in her blind eyes.

"What are you getting young Brightkit," asked Cloudblossom. "Did she tell you she got some rare illness to get out of seeing Petalstar. I thought you knew better than to fall for that trick."

I scrambled out of my nest and walked right up in the medicine cat's face. It lost its rebellious effect since she couldn't see me standing and deifying her. "I scraped my nose on the wall in case you couldn't smell the blood."

Lynxpaw motioned for me to move over, and she spoke to her mentor. "I got her marigold to stop any infection and crushed dock leaves to soothe the pain?" Her voice was questioning, uncertain if she had passed the unprepared test.

Cloudblossom smiled in the general direction of her apprentice, completely ignoring me. "You have almost finished your training, Lynxpaw. You just need to one more important lesson."

A nervous smile broke out on the apprentice's face. "What is it, Cloudblossom? I think I would be good under pressure. Look how nicely I'm treating a little she-kit." She dabbed the poultice on my nose, being extra careful not to smudge any in my eyes.

I twitched a bit, causing her to drop some of the fresh herbs on the ground. "Good thing she can't see," she muttered as much to herself as to me. "You are a very lucky kit."

"What did you say, Lynxpaw," asked the medicine cat. "I wasn't listening. Would you be a darling and repeat it?"

Lynxpaw shuffled nervously, thinking the same thing I was. Cloudblossom knew exactly what she had said because nothing got past the blind medicine cat. "I was just wondering what I needed to work on."

Cloudblossom couldn't see, but she could sense the dread and agitation that was rolling of Lynxpaw in waves. "It is just something you will learn in time. All you need is more experience."

The cream-colored apprentice walked away from me, ashamed of how she had been acting. "Do you want me to get to know the Clan better. I could take Brightkit to see Petalstar. Only if you want me to, of course."

I fluffed out my chest and stumbled out from Lynxpaw's grip. "I can walk myself to leader's den. I'm not a stupid tom who has to be escorted everywhere."

The full medicine cat turned to face me, now ignoring her apprentice. "I thought you were scared to meet Petalstar. I thought you would never see her in a million moons."

"Ha," I laughed dryly. "I already told you, I'm not a stupid tom. If I want to rise to an all powerful leader, I must be strong in the face of danger." Lynxpaw laughed at the scene I was making, but I sent her a death glare.

"Okay than," smiled Cloudblossom. "Let's go now." She turned away from me so her voice would carry to the back of the den. "Flamewhisper, we're going out to see the leader. You're in charge until I get back. Don't let anyone push you around."

I could see the tom roll his eyes at his mate, his smile light and goofy. Even Lynxpaw looked uncomfortable in their presence. She coughed at bit to get her mentor's attention.

"Am I coming with you?" she asked. "I wouldn't get in the way at all. I would sit on the side and listen to every word you said. You did say I need more experience."

Cloudblossom shook her head slowly, trying to not give her apprentice the wrong idea. "This isn't something an apprentice does. My mentor left me in the den when she did this with Petalkit."

"But I thought things changed over time," cried Lynxpaw, desperate to prove herself to her mentor. "Why can't you change it just this once?"

"Lynxpaw," scolded Cloudblossom," you know you can't change tradition. Now, go to the nursery to check on the kits. The queens should be waking up now."

The apprentice hung her head and walked slowly out of the den. Her tail parted the dirt and gravel as it trailed along the floor. Her posture looked of one who had been broken down past repair.

I could see the hurt in Cloudblossom's blind eyes, and I laughed. "Pay no attention to her," I told her, feeling the tiniest bit of sympathy for the medicine cat. "She is just a jealous beast."

"You are the beast here," sighed Cloudblossom. "I feel for the Clan; how did a kit like you receive Bloomstar's Gift?"

I wasted no time responding," because I'm awesome, and a she-cat. I don't even know what Bloomstar's gift is, but I'm sure I'm the best kit in the nursery."

The medicine cat sighed and looked away with her blind eyes. "Just follow me to Petalstar's den. Secretthorn should still be with the toms. We won't need to make excuses."

"So this is a secret meeting," I told her. "No toms allowed." I let out a cackled laugh. "This is what I'm talking about. I thought being a medicine cat meant all boring stuff."

"The meeting will be ruined if you even tell anyone. Instead, I'll tell Moonstripe you tried to escape from the nursery." Her smile was hard and serious, there was no laughter in her pale eyes.

I could imagine the fury that would rise in Moonstripe's voice. "Don't worry," I assured the blind she-cat. "No words will get out."

"That is what I thought," smiled Cloudblossom. "Now let's go."

Now that the moment had arrived, my heart sped up, beating abnormally fast. "Calm down," I whispered quietly to myself. "Only toms are afraid of Petalstar. I'm not a weak tom, so I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid."

Cloudblossom gave me a weird look like she had heard everything I said. "We are going Flamewhisper. See you later."

"I thought you had left already, honey," he called to the front room. "Are you defiantly leaving this time? I don't want to be scared when your voice suddenly sounds."

A hearty laugh erupted from the white she-cat. "I won't scare you again. Lynxpaw is at the nursery, and I'm walking out of the den with Brightkit at my heels."

"Actually, you tom lover," I mumbled to myself, my words so distorted, no one could understand them, "you are walking at my heels. Hurry up."

Flamewhisper shouted his farewells, and we exited the medicine den. It felt so free in the clearing, the winds wrapping around my fur. I hadn't realized how stuffy and airless the den had been.

The sun was slowly peaking up from the river. It cast an orange glow into the light blue sky, the same color as Cloudblossom's eyes. The colors ran together like the blood spilling into the fast flowing river.

She-cats walked around camp, some dragging their paws from an exhausting morning patrol and others jumping friskily around. Some were gathered round the fresh-kill pile while a couple disappeared into the tom's den.

Cloudpaw was walking in the reed entrance with Firepaw, trying to guide her sightless friend. Both apprentices turned to look when Cloudblossom and I appeared in their view.

"Hello, Cloudblossom," called the fluffy, white apprentice. "we were just practicing our battle training. You're kit is one awesome fighter. It is almost like she can see me."

"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm deaf," laughed Firepaw. I could see a hidden ferocity in her eyes that her mother never possessed. It was unparalleled hunger to fight and prove one's worth.

"Just be careful," she told her daughter. "Don't go near the rivers and streams, or you could get swept away. You don't want to end up like Jaggedblaze's brother, never to be seen again."

"Mom," moaned Firepaw. "You are embarrassing me in front of Cloudpaw and the rest of the warriors. They just excepted that I might become a warrior. Please don't say that when they are nearby."

"Anything for you, darling," sighed the worried mother. "I'm just nervous for Icepaw. This is her first time joining Fallowheart to meet Danger."

"No need to worry, ma'am," smiled Cloudpaw. "She is also with Everpaw. Their mentors won't let anything happen to them. You know that."

I fidgeted back and forth on my paws, trying to remind my escort that I was still present. Pretending to play with a pebble, I attempted to chuck it at Cloudblossom. At the last second, my weight shifted, and it flew towards Cloudpaw.

The tiny projectile bounced harmlessly off her leg, but it got her attention. She bent over and looked at me. "Why is Brightkit with you?" she asked. "Does Moonstripe think she is ready to become an apprentice early?"

I opened my mouth to tell her I had received a special gift when I remembered Cloudblossom's warning. Instead, my mouth shut, and I waited to hear the medicine cat's lie.

"You're a smart one, Cloudpaw. I would think so with a name like that." The mentioned apprentice beamed with the compliment, but Firepaw rolled her blind eyes, looking a lot like her mother. "Brightkit is the largest kit in the nursery, and her mother thinks it's best if she becomes an apprentice early. It is getting crowded with Lightcloud's kits reaching four moons soon."

"Doesn't that go against the warrior code," brought up Firepaw. "You taught me to obey it until my last breath. What ever happened to that?"

"Daughter," sighed Cloudblossom, "this is just something you learn with experience. Now, where is your mentor? I need to talk to her."

"Her and Smokefrost are out there talking. They say it is a secret, but it is obviously about Cloudpaw's warrior ceremony. I bet they are already on their way back," informed Firepaw, totally comfortable talking to her mother.

Just that, Cloudpaw stomach rumbled loud enough for us all to hear. "That's is my cue to leave. We didn't get to eat at the crack of dawn when we left. I could eat a whole stream of fish."

"Thanks Cloudpaw," called Cloudblossom to the retreating apprentice. "See you later Firepaw. Don't forget to visit Flamewhisper; he has been missing you."

"Yes mother," sighed Firepaw as she ran to join her friend. I couldn't help but admire how she moved without tripping over any rocks. Cloudpaw stopped to help, but still.

Now Cloudblossom's attention was focused on me. "We'll just wait in Petalstar's den until she returns. I know she'll want to grab a bite to eat. Smokefrost is almost ready to join the elders, so her bones are going to be aching."

I didn't trust my mouth, so I followed closely at the medicine cat's heels. We were almost at the leader's den when Fernkit tumbled out of the nursery with Aspenkit right behind her.

"I was wondering where you had gone off to," cried Aspenkit, bouncing violently up and down. "Moonstripe was so worried, she was tearing apart the nursery. Breezekit almost cracked his head open. Stormbreeze started yelling, so the two of us decided to escape. Can you believe Amberkit slept through the whole thing? I was surprised because I woke up instantly. It isn't everyday you see your brother fly. Well, anyway, Moonstripe sent me to find you." She took a huge breath and was prepared to start again when Fernkit stopped her.

"Is she supposed to be with you?" she asked the medicine cat, her voice wavering. "I could tell Moonstripe that she is in your care. Or do you want to tell her yourself?" The way she spoke reminded me of Lynxpaw.

Cloudblossom smiled to the two kits. "Let me take Brightkit over to that den, and I'll talk to Moonstripe. Why don't you run and tell her I'll be right there."

"Okay, Cloudblossom," said Fernkit. She smiled to the medicine cat but sent a wink over to me. I stuck my tongue out at her and turned back around.

Even facing away, I could hear Aspenkit rambling on. "I wonder what she was doing with Cloudblossom. Isn't she the medicine cat? Maybe she got some sickness that could kill her. I would really hate that. Will Moonstripe tell us? Are we going to ask her? Come on, Fernkit! Let's get going." Her voice faded as she entered the nursery. Even the strong walls could barely hold her voice inside.

Cloudblossom let out a sigh. "I remember when I was that young. The world seemed so big and scary. Especially because I couldn't see anything."

That is really when I realized she had always been blind; she had never been able to see. "Do you know what the color green looks like?" I asked, honestly curious. "That is the color of my eyes."

"I have to get you to the leader's den quickly. I can't believe Lynxpaw never told Moonstripe that you were with us." She gave an annoyed sigh, scolding her apprentice in her head. "That is why I can't give her her full medicine name. She needs to think out side just herself."

"Did you hear me?" I shouted to her, paying no attention to her mindless ramble. "Do you know what the color green looks like?"

She turned her eyes to be; they were blazing with fury. Her mouth was open to speak, but than she closed it. After several deep breaths, she tried again. "I can see them in dreams. Green is the color of life."

I nodded my head up and down like I knew what she was talking about. I didn't need to waste the effort because she stopped outside the entrance to the cave.

"In you go. Don't worry, just move aside some leaves to let the light in. I'll probably be back before Petalstar makes it." Her soft voice assured me, I would be okay.

I didn't think the same as she disappeared from view and I was left in front of a dark abyss. It seemed to swallow the bright beams of sunlight that now slanted down the sky.

Taking cautious steps, I entered. As my pupils widened, and I could make out vague surroundings, the cave didn't seem as dark as it had. Piles of stones and used moss cluttered the floor.

Remembering what Cloudblossom suggested, I dug my hand into a pile of dead leaves, trying to move them into a corner. As I touched the cold, damp compost, a light purple beetled crawled up my front leg.

I let out a screech and scuttled to the corner, ignoring the stones that shifted in my wake. The beetle flung across the room, slamming into the far wall. It stumbled around, dazed, before returning to normal.

Seeing in disappear into the crevice, I walked a step closer. Suddenly, the leaves fluttered upward, and I tumbled back. I began to shake from fear and the cold breeze that frightened the leaves into action.

A cold determination gripped my heart, these stupid leaves won't beat me. I ran toward the wall, a battle cry ripping from the throat. The leaves would pay for knocking me on the ground.

I slashed my tiny claws at them, sending pieces of decaying leaves flying all over the place. Soon, they concealed the rocks and pebbles that had previous littered the ground. "You didn't stand a chance," I told them as I pulverized the survivors.

When the last of the leaves had been moved, a beam of light shot through a newly opened crack. I darted out of the way to avoid it burning my eyes right out of their sockets.

The light struck a crystal rock on the ceiling, and soon, the whole room was bathed in a pale, white glow. I could see everything in a different perspective; it was magical, surreal.

I was staring at the dazzling stone walls when something new appeared, a walkway leading up into the distance. Hearing no one nearby, I started to ascend.

As my foot reached the highest stone, I heard the mumbles of two she-cats. There was no doubt that is was Petalstar and Cloudblossom. It could be no one else.

My heart palpitated as my fear piked. Not only would I really be speaking to the leader, but she would realize I had trashed her den. As my doom walked closer to me, a brilliant idea flared in my head.

I could blame everything on Secretthorn, her strong and rebellious mate. Her anger would be swift and deadly, but it wouldn't be aimed towards me. There was no reason for her not to believe a she-cat, even if I was a kit.

It didn't settle my heart as I scrambled down the crude stepping stones. It took all my coordination not to tumble head first. My paws were scarped up, but that was a small price to pay for my safety.

I slid into a relaxed position just as soon as Petalstar's shadow filled the wall, its daunting outline flashing at me, snarling at me in the dark.

As a cat grew from the shadow, blue eyes penetrated the darkness, searching for me. "Did you scatter the leaves everywhere, Brightkit?" she hissed towards me.

"Of course not," I said, gathering all the courage that lay in my heart. "It was like this when I came in." My heart beat quickly, wondering if she would discover my lie.

But she didn't turn to me, but instead, Cloudblossom. "Did you tell her about the Sunlight Stone? It looks she found away to make it light." The way she spoke suggested she hadn't believed my lie for a second.

"I merely mentioned that she would get more light if she moved the leaves out of the way," her voice sounded more on edge than before. "I had forgotten about that complication. I was just worried that she would be scared in the dark by herself."

"You are a good medicine cat," said Petalstar. "I will forgive you for this because you can't see. But this isn't what you wanted to talk about, is it?"

I wanted to speak, show that I wasn't a coward, but I couldn't find my voice. It seemed to be caught in my chest, unwilling to spill out.

Instead, the medicine cat saved me. "She has received Bloomstar's Gift. You can see it in her eyes. I also heard the names as they ran through her memories."

_Oakfire, Bloomflower, Oakfire, Bloomflower, Oakstar, Bloomstar._

I clutched my head as I fell to the ground. The voices sounded more powerful than ever before. They claws at the side of my head, screaming to be let out.

As I twitched on the ground, I saw Petalstar laying next to me. I briefly registered that her fur was shifting from a deep black to a bright white when the world disappeared.

When the world came back into focus, I saw the leader weakly scrambling to her feet. "So the little she-cat does have Bloomstar's Gift. I though she had a feisty look in her eyes."

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><p><strong>This chapter is super extra long for a reason, I'm going on a vacation and won't be able t write. This will have to last for at least two weeks. I'm sorry it is kind of a filler but don't you love Aspenkit.<strong>

**On another note, I would like to ask you to enter my contest, "And the World Listened." I want it to become an annual, popular contest where the winner is honored as one of the fandom's best writers. It would make me happy if you enter and try your luck. It is only a one-shot.**


	12. Explanations

**I'm really hating this chapter because it wouldn't turn out the way I wanted it to. It was te best I could make it for you wonderful folks. (BlackflameofPhoenixClan, Marshmellowtime, Mossshine, ScourgeloverBirdwing, Stormbreeze of WindClan, Moonblaze 13, Mintfrost29, Snowstar of BlizzardClan, The Last Sketch, ThePowerOfWriting, The Blue Joker, SupahSplash34, Phantomflower, KTD Lover, SilverWolf1499.) I really appreciate all the support.**

**Time: Day 3**

**Character: Brightkit of BloomClan**

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><p><strong>Ch. 10 Explanations<strong>

Petalstar thought I had a feisty look in my eyes, despite that fact that words were sticking my my throat. Determination crawled up my spine, a trait of my mother's. I pried my jaws apart and gave her a toothy grin.

"What in the name of StarClan is Bloomstar's Gift?" The words flew out of my mouth, suddenly no longer caught. I wouldn't be a wimp; I would prove the leader right.

A shocked expression grew in Petalstar's blue eyes. Turning to Cloudblossom, she whispered under her breath. "You didn't tell her. You know you were supposed to."

Blind eyes rolled themselves at the leader. "I thought you would remember this day even if you were just a little kit. It is went you life changed."

"It was a long time ago," retorted the leader. "I was never trained to explain the beginning. That is what Dapplemist taught you, and that is what you shall do." Her voice was hard, trying not to show any confusion.

"StarClan tells me the story," said Cloudblossom, her look becoming fiercer as she talked about the Clan above. "Dapplemist never taught me anything."

"Just tell me," hissed Petalstar, her whole posture changing. "You are making me look weak in front of my successor."

"Wait," I shouted, startling both of them. "I'm Petalstar's successor. Doesn't that mean I'm going to be the leader some day. That is so cool." The last word had a squeal at the end.

I couldn't help keep my joy contained. "I can boss around both toms and she-cats. They all have to do whatever I tell them." My brain was turning out ingenious schemes once I ruled BloomClan.

"Not for a long time," grinned Petalstar. Her mood changed drastically. I could imagine she was seeing a younger version of herself. "I'm still very young and have a lot of life left in me."

"I can wait a long time," I told her, seeing her as my equal. "I can wait forever if I need too. I can wait a long time for you to join StarClan."

Petalstar looked a little nervous at me when I mentioned her death. I gave no more signs of myself wanting her demise, so she left it be.

"And that is Bloomstar's Gift," concluded Cloudblossom, annoyed that we were straying from the task ahead. "It is an easy concept, really. A gift from StarClan for rising above and enslaving the toms."

"It is their way of saying thank you. They bless the next leader with dreams and voices. We understand the world better than any other cat. " Petalstar smiled fondly at the memory. She and Cloudblossom had a dream-like look on their features.

"The dreams have been nothing but a curse," I told the two she-cats. They seemed to snap out of their day dreams. "The stupid names have been running through me head." As if on cue, they shattered my brain.

_Bloomflower, Oakfire, Bloomflower, Oakfire, Bloomstar, Oakstar._

Petalstar gave me a weak nudge, only making the voices echo louder. "They won't be a curse for much longer. They fade as we tell you the secrets. I haven't heard them for many, many moons until I saw you."

_Bloomflower, Oakfire. Bloomflower, Oakfire!_

Petalstar saw the pain flash briefly in my eyes. "It will be over soon," she told me. "It will all be just a bad dream. That is all it will be."

I prepared myself for a last onslaught, but it never came. Instead, the knowledge that the two she-cats held drew my interest. "I want to know whatever secrets you know. Come one, spill them. I have had to put up with Lynxpaw and Flamewhisper; I should get my prize."

"The secrets aren't a prize, Brightkit," said Cloudblossom solemnly. "You can never go back to the way things were before." Her voice reminded me of the elders, the way they spoke fondly of the past.

"You aren't the one with killer headaches," I snapped at her. "I would kill my own mother to get rid of them." It was a lie at the moment, but I'm sure they would return, more powerful then before.

Cloudblossom looked totally offended where Petalstar was trying not to burst out laughing. "Don't look like than Cloudy. I think I said the same thing to Vixenstar all those moons ago."

That is really when I started to look at the leader as she would have looked like as a kit. Like me, young and unsure. We had been through the same thing. "What is happening to me has happened to every leader in BloomClan's history?"

"Yes," grinned Petalstar. "Every leader but Bloomstar herself. It has been passed down from Riverstar to Vixenstar to myself. Now it has been passed down to you."

My jaw dropped even lower. "Every leader has received Bloomstar's Gift. It isn't a maybe, it is a sure thing. I'm really going to be Brightstar." My hopes soared, so there everyone else.

"That means you are going to have to work extra hard, you know," said Cloudblossom, ruining my fun. "You have to be the best at everything. No one can know what happens behind the scenes."

"You mean no one in the Clan knows about this. My mother just hasn't been keeping me oblivious." I winced at all the bad things I had secretly been thinking about her.

"No one knows," said Petalstar, all joy in her voice gone. "If you don't keep that secret, StarClan gave us certain rights to use as we please. We've never resorted to that." Her voice trailed off at the end.

"You won't have to resorted to you rights. I can keep secrets, just ask Cloudblossom." My tone wavered as I tried to keep it under control. "I didn't even tell Fernkit, and she is my best friend in the whole wide world."

"Okay," laughed Petalstar, in her good mood once again. "I'd tell you, but that is the job of the medicine cat. Cloudblossom can explain much better then I ever could." She flourished her tail grandly to point at the medicine cat.

"It was a long time ago," started Cloudblossom, "before BloomClan even existed. Two different Clans lived side by side, JadeClan and StormClan."

"Whoa," I shouted, "You mean there were two Clans. Are their two Clans now?" I tried to imagine another cat like me, but I completely failed. Two Clans, what a ridiculous idea.

"Of course not," laughed Petalstar, mirroring my thoughts. "They died off a long time ago, before they could even recover from their attack. Two Clans would be unthinkable. Just take a moment to imagine the chaos."

"Anyway," continued Cloudblossom, slightly annoyed at the uncalled for interruption. "Something happened that drove the two Clans apart. Rumor had it that the deputy's sister was killed by a StormClan warrior."

"The deputy was Bloomflower," said Petalstar. Her voice seemed to echo across the cave into another time. A time where JadeClan ruled the islands. "Her sister was a sweet she-cat named Rosepetal."

I opened my mouth to comment on that when Cloudblossom quickly started again, like she was trying to keep me quiet. "Rosepetal was never found, but they did find bloodstains decorating one of the smaller islands.

"The Clans were a a risky and unstable truce," added Petalstar. "It might have been fine because of the nature of StormClan's leader and deputy, but something terrible had befallen them. The kindhearted deputy had drowned."

"In that big river," I said, not feeling one bit sorry for the unfortunate cat. "He should have known not to try to swim across it." If he had attempted something so stupid, he deserved the fate StarClan had given him.

"There was a bridge formed from a fallen maple tree. It spanned across the length of the river." Her tone brought back my first dream of following the creaking noise. "He _slipped_ off, but we now know he was pushed."

I gasped a loud shock, and Cloudblossom took that I understand. " A newer, power hungry cat took over. His name was Oakfire." Her voice seemed to echo loudly off the bare cave walls.

I covered my paws over my ears, but no pounding rush of names attacked. Instead, it was a gentle trickle that wasn't uncomfortable at all. It stopped as soon as it had begun.

_Bloomflower, Oakfire._

"That is when it became really terrible," I said in a voice that wasn't my own. It seemed to bubble unwillingly inside of me. "They must have went to war."

"Yes," continued Cloudblossom, shaking her head at the tragedy of the past. "a terrible and bloody war that killed both leaders and destroyed the maple bridge."

"It wasn't until the she-cat rose above the toms that Bloomstar received a gift from StarClan," sighed Petalstar dreamily. She didn't care about those who suffered, jut what was gained. "She would know who the next leader of her Clan would be."

"Wow," I breathed out. So much seemed to he happening around me, I could think of anything to say. We just sat their looking at each other, trying to imagine the power of the ancient she-cats.

Time seemed to ignore the three of us until Leopardheart scattered the random leaves with her paw steps. "I found a wild she-cat at the border. She said Jay brought her from across the river."

Petalstar seemed to snap from her trance into leader mode. "Send a patrol to escort her back to camp. Make it you, Smokefrost, and Dawnlight. Did she tell you her name?"

"It was a weird Clan name," sneered the deputy. "Said she was called Blossomfrost."

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><p><strong>Just needed to explain a lot of stuff, hope you guessed by the title. The next chapter will be Blossomfrost and then a peak from Blueflower. I would show Breezepaw (he is my favorite,) but he happens to be in a coma all of day 3.<strong>

**Also, thanks to Phantomflower for pointing out the Dapplemist was Cloudblossom's mentor, not Yewberry. That name was just in my head for some odd reason. **

**Also, I will be making a prequeal to this. I can't decide on a title, so there is a poll on my profile. If you could all vote and review, I would be insanly happy. **


	13. Rogue

**I like the beginning of the chapter, but the end, not so much. It really just sets up for the onslaught of action next chapter. Again, thanks for all the support I get. (Marshmellowtime, Brightcloud of the Clans, Mossshine, Violetsong, Moonfur10, The Blue Joker, Phantomflower, KTDLover, SilverWolf1499, Lamplighter at Midnight, Mintfrost29, Stormbreeze of WindClan.)**

**Time: Day 3**

**Character: Blossomfrost of OakClan**

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><p><strong>Ch. 11 Rogue<strong>

"And do you see that fallen tree right over there, beyond that small crest. You do," rambled Jay. She had only stopped talking for meals and when we curled beside a thunderpath for some sleep. "Well that is where BloomClan camp is."

I had to smile at the loner. She had rambled on about BloomClan's life until I knew all the warriors without even meeting them. "Jay," I sighed, playing the part as a warrior perfectly. "I know where my camp is. I have lived there all my life."

"Than you wouldn't mind me leaving you?" she asked. "I like to hang out on a island further down, and my knees aren't what they used to me. Walking all those extra steps would kill me even more." She pretended to have stiff joints just to prove her point.

"I''m perfectly fine by myself," I bluffed. "Do you want me to tell Petalstar you said hello? Maybe Rainsong will come a visit you." My voiced sounded powerful, laced with lies.

"You are so brave Blossomfrost," said Jay. "I would love it if you told all my friends I sent greetings. Maybe you could even come visit be some day in the future. I would like to learn more about the tom in your life."

I shuddered a bit as Breezepaw popped up, uncalled for, in my mind. "I don't have a mate," I told Jay. "He um, died a few moons before I left across the river." I winced at my terrible lie.

Jay didn't seem to notice. "That is too bad, but you warriors don't care much for your mates anyway. I'll see you around Blossomfrost."

With that, she moved away from me, her body moving gracefully across the flat plain. My paws stayed rooted where she left me until her beautiful silvery gray fur disappeared over the horizon.

I picked up one paw after another, moving toward the bridge Jay had pointed out towards me. A sigh escaped my throat when I saw that it had vanished from my view. My legs were already aching from all the walking I had done in the last two days.

A small puddle of water had formed at the base of the small hill. Until then, I hadn't noticed how parched my throat really was. I bent down and swallowed a few gulps.

My body loosened, feeling more relaxed then it had just moments before. I knew I would survive to BloomClan, there was no doubt about that. Squirrelleaf would be so proud of me, living the life all she-cats envisioned.

In my little haven of happiness, I didn't notice a patrol of cats approaching me. They scented the air and looked to my little hiding place. There was only three of them, one even looked like an elder.

"Stop whatever you are doing, rogue," shouted the cat in the lead. She was a powerfully built golden dappled she-cat with a ferocious snarl, but she looked like StarClan its self. "State your name and business."

I wanted to tell her my life story, but I stared stupidly at her and her companions. "You guys are she-cats and warriors."

"Are you daft?" sounded the leader, being the only one in the group to speak. "Of course we are she-cats; we are BloomClan warriors. Now, who are you?"

"I'm Blossomfrost," I said, failing at keeping my voice from shaking. "Jay, the loner, brought me from across the river. She said you guys could always use another warrior."

"I'll have to ask Petalstar about this. If she doesn't want you around, I can't have you any where near the camp." Her voice was even, but she kept looking at me, trying to size me up, see how I would do in a fight.

"I'm fine with that," I lied to the controlling she-cat. "I'll wait here until you guys come back with the verdict."

"It isn't that easy, strange rogue," laughed the dappled she-cat, finding joy in my confusion. "Rainsong and Ferretclaw, you two will stand guard."

When she ran away into the distance, I smiled to my two guards. "Nice to meet you," I said to them. To the pale blueish gray she-cat I assumed was Rainsong, I put on my kindest tone, "I think Jay mentioned you as a close friend. She wanted to tell you her island is always open to you."

She gave me a smile. "I guess all you rogues aren't the same. I really hope Petalstar thinks there is room for you. I bet you are a great hunter." She gave me such a sweet smile, my heart throbbed at my lie.

"I have never hunted in my life," I confided in her. "I have been trapped from this wonderful world my whole life. It wasn't until this moon that I felt grass under my paws."

"You were a kittypet," spoke the older brown she-cat. "I have never meet one, and I never thought I would when I moved to the elder den. You aren't nearly as fluffy as I imagined."

My small understanding of the inner working of a Clan shattered. "I thought elders had to stay in camp where they were cared for." Memories of Snowleaf and Jay's explanations moved to the forefront of my mind.

"They can't keep me in there when the weather is fair," she smiled, a tooth missing. "It is weird to not be on the plains when the sun shines on the billowing grass."

I nodded, but I could understand her longing. Now that I had felt sun basking my skin, the wind blowing thought my fur, and grass slipping through my paws. "I know," I told him.

"Wait," said Rainsong, still stuck on the whole kittypet thing. "Why are you away from your Twolegs? Don't they feed you and everything."

"I wanted to see the world," I told the lamed she-cat. It wasn't exactly a lie, I did want to see everything there was to see. "I couldn't do that from my Twolegplace."

"I guess that makes sense," said Rainsong slowly. "Do you want to know how to hunt? Ferretclaw and I could start teaching you now."

"Actually," I said, thinking back to my friends still held in OakClan's grip. "I think I'd rather learn how to fight."

Ferretclaw looked at me uneasily. "I don't Leopardheart would approve of us teaching you that," she said after a brief silence. "What if you aren't excepted into the Clan? You could use those moves on us."

"I just want to learn to defend myself," I whimpered, drawing on the real pain from my life and twisting it into a lie. "I saw my friend get attack by a fierce street cat. I just don't want the same thing to happen to me." Tears welled to my eyes as I imagined Redfrost and Shadowfrost being hunted down like mice.

"We can teach you that," said Rainsong quickly, obviously feeling bad about Ferretclaw's speedy denial. "I can't see any harm in learning to protect from attacks. Petalstar's warriors would be able to beat you if it came down to it."

"Yeah," replied Ferretclaw. "It will be like a kit learning tiny moves from older apprentices before becoming one themselves. I can't see the harm."

"So you will teach me," I said, my excitement not escaping my voice. I was one step closer to helping all my friends in their resistance. "How about as we wait for Leopardheart to return?"

"It is perfect," purred Rainsong. "You'll be like the apprentice I never had." She moved quickly to the position in front of be, despite her crippled paw.

"When Rainsong swipes a paw at you," explained Ferretclaw, seeing something useful she could do, "jump back quickly." To show a point, she hopped cleanly back.

"It unsettles your opponent while keeping your face clean," said Rainsong. "Do you want to give it a go; I won't unsheathe my claws."

"Of course," I cried. I was trying furiously to remember everything I was being told, so maybe, I could tell the other queens. Maybe if I learned enough, we could fight for our freedom.

Suddenly, without warning, Rainsong lashed out her good front paw, leaning on her crippled one. I suddenly saw Breezepaw instead of the kindhearted she-cat. Knowing I couldn't avoid a beating, I let the blow land.

The pain snapped me out of my morbid thoughts, as my vision faltered for the briefed moment. Breezepaw changed into a concerned Rainsong. Both of the she-cats rushed to my side.

"I thought you would jump back," cried Rainsong, feeling traumatized by the incident. "I really didn't mean to hurt you. Are you sure you want to learn how to fight?"

I felt even more determined after that. Maybe, my mind never would have deceived me if I had been better prepared. "Let's try again."

Both Ferretclaw and Rainsong seemed more assured at my confident and chirpy answer. As she moved to face me again, her movements were slower. It was like she was afraid to move to fast around me.

Suddenly a voice sounded over the rippling grass. "What do we have here" sneered Leopardheart. "Are you two teaching Blossomfrost how to fight? You are super lucky Petalstar wants to speak to such a strange cat."

"We were just teaching her to defend herself," said Rainsong. "There was no harm in that since we could easily beat her anyways. I just thought, if she wasn't welcomed, she could have a chance at living in the wild."

"You are lucky your kind heart put us ahead," said Leopardheart as two cats flanked her sides. "I'd be careful because if it doesn't in the future, blame goes on the lame."

A pearly laughter came from a black striped she-cat, but it never reached her blue eyes. "Let's bring her back to camp quickly. I did a morning patrol too, and I want to rest." She faked a yawn, showcasing a row of sharp teeth.

I gulped, just imaging them sinking into my neck. Ferretclaw must have sensed my unease because she lightly taped my on the shoulder with her tail. Just the small gesture made me feel like I had a friend.

"I want to eat too," said the deputy, "let's get moving." She started off at the head of the column. "It is almost midday, and I haven't scared Stormclaw yet."

I wanted to follow at the back, but the yawing warrior would have none of it. Just as she moved, Leopardheart started to call out orders. "I want Smokefrost on one side with Ferretclaw and Rainsong of the other. Dawnlight," she told the blue-gray she-cat who hadn't spoken, "you will follow behind us."

It felt like a death march to their camp. The beautiful scenery around me couldn't distract me from the fact that five cats were no guarding me. For what reason, I didn't know; I posed no danger to them whatsoever.

We came across a gentle flowing river, that I thought we'd have to swim across. I couldn't recall anything Jay had told me just before she left. "I have never swam in my life," I whispered to Rainsong. "How will I make it to you camp?"

She leaned over to tell me, but she instantly snapped back at Leopardheart's harsh words. "Stop talking to her; Petalstar hasn't made her final decision yet. We may still cast her out."

Ferretclaw must have decided that, as an elder, she could get anything she wants. "There is a fallen tree that spans the length. It is just behind that shrub."

The deputy didn't say anything, but set a nasty glare in my direction. Ferretclaw let a small hiss escape her throat. "Pay our overconfident Leopardheart no concern. She doesn't know she will never be leader."

I faintly heard a snarl come from the golden dappled she-cat, but I was swept away as she pushed a bush to the side. Ferretclaw had told me the truth, not that I doubted her.

An uprooted tree lay the length of the river. Birds fluttered of the smooth surface when they saw us approach and loose pieces of bark splashed into the the quickly trickling water.

Before I could speak, the quiet blue-gray she-cat spoke. "Yes Blossomfrost," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "we are going across the Fallen Bridge to our island camp. You should learn where it is if you become a warrior."

"Oh thanks," I told her, feeling grateful they were slowly explaining everything to me. My words trailed off, trying to hint I wished for a name.

"Dawnlight," she said with a small smile gracing her lips. "Us Clan cats aren't as terrible as some loners would tell you. We only eat bones in really bad winters, and they are only fish bones."

The deputy must have felt she was losing control of her small band, so she cheerfully announced when the camp was within view. It looked a great deal like OakClan's camp, and the muscles in my stomach clenched with nervousness.

Rainsong mistook my dread for something else. "I'm sure all the cats will like you. You aren't the only loner we took it. One of the apprentices was found as a kit; she was born a loner."

I wanted to tell her that wasn't what I was nervous about, but I couldn't find the right words without giving my entire situation away. Would they still except me if they knew I was from a different Clan where I had been beaten my whole life?

"Everyone can help themselves to the fresh-kill pile," said Leopardheart, clearly addressing the warriors. "The sun-high hunting patrol should have returned by now. I sent them out at before I left."

"You can eat by me," offered Rainsong. "I'm sure Frostbreeze would love to meet you," her smile made me wish Leopardheart wouldn't say what I knew was on the tip of her tongue.

"Blossomfrost will go with me to talk to Petalstar," said the deputy, much to my prediction. "It hasn't been decided if she will prematurely join the Clan so don't get to attached to her." She fixed her green eyes on Ferretclaw and Rainsong in particular.

The elder smiled weakly at me as we crossed the bridge. I was terrified my paws would slip from the smooth bark, and I would tumble into the river. Any hope I have stored in the back of my heart would be buried forever.

As I touched upon smooth ground, Leopardheart took me aside. "The rest of you may go. We will follow you. I want to talk to our little rogue alone."

I got a pitied look from Rainsong, but she shuffled after all the other cats. If I wasn't eaten alive, I would love to know her better. Skyfrost would love the gentle she-cat.

"I want to know where you came from," she lashed out verbally as soon as the warriors were gone from view. "Jay has never brought us a loner before, and I don't think she would start at her age."

I dug up all the hatred I felt for Nightclaw, my deputy, and pushed them into what I wanted to tell this she-cat. "I will only speak to the leader, not a fake cat like you."

I could sense anger boiling in her veins, but she gave me a sickly sweet smile. "Let's not waste any time. The day is slowly ticking away."

She led me into the camp, past the stares of curious she-cats. Even the kits stopped their games to watch me walk slowly behind the deputy. It hurt me a little because it reminded me of OakClan, only with the roles reversed.

When she led me into a cave, it painfully looked like Adderstar's underground lair. Only the silhouettes of three cats led me to believe there was no perilous cliff for me to fall down. I still watched where I placed my paws as the darkness swallowed me.

"So you are the strange rogue with a Clan name," spoke a dark-haired she-cat who seemed to blend in with the stone walls. "The one Jay brought across the river."

"Tell us why you are here," shouted a ball of fluffy white fur. It appeared to be a kits no older that five moons. "We won't except any nonsense from a cat like you."

"Brightkit," scolded the black she-cat, the one obviously in charge. "You will never get information out of her if she is scared. You shouldn't act like a leader because you won't be one for a long time."

Leopardheart stood rigid beside me, but it wasn't her that spoke, it was the patched she-cat. I shuddered a bit when she looked at me with milky, blind eyes. They seemed to _see_ me even thought they shouldn't be able to.

"She won't be answering any of your questions," said the blind she-cat. "I might be blind, but I can tell she is exhausted. I bet she doesn't even realize she is shaking in her paws."

It was as if someone mentioning it made it all the more real. I became more aware of myself, not just those around me. "Maybe the blind she-cat is right," I said. "Some rest would be good for me. I have been walking practically since dawn yesterday."

"Alright Cloudblossom," huffed the black cat. "You can take her to your den for some sleep, but I want her here as soon as she wakes up." Her blue eyes looked cruel in the minimal lighting.

My heart was warmed with the kindness of a cat I have never seen until this moment. As she led me confidently outside, she gave me a smile. "It looks like you needed time to collect yourself. Petalstar can be a little imposing, Brightkit too."

"Thanks, Cloudblossom," I told her, remembering the name Petalstar, the black she-cat, had called her. "I could use some sleep now that you mention it. Jay was too antsy at the Twoleg Island to get much sleep."

She led me into the den with the telltale scent of herbs and medicines. "Flamewhisper," she called into the darkness. "Lynxpaw, we have another guest."

"Not Brightkit," sighed a cream she-cat who appeared from a chamber deeper in the den. "I don't think I could put up with her or any other kit."

"No," she said, pushing me forward with her tail. "It is a rogue who might be joining the Clan. She looks likes she might be about your age."

"Oh," she said, clearly shocked to see me. "Do you want me to show her to a nest? Her eyelids look like they are drooping."

"Please do that," she said to Lynxpaw, who I assumed was her apprentice. "Flamewhisper will help you out if you need any assistance. She can use the same one as Brightkit."

With a short nod, she disappeared into the back. "You know, Blossomfrost," she said to me. "You can follow her. When you lay down, you will realize how much you really need the sleep. It happens to all the warriors afters an especially hard day."

I stiffed a yawn and slumped into the moss den Lynxpaw had laid out for me. "This is the most comfortable thing ever" I told her as my eyes closed and my world turned black.

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><p><strong>I think the real <em>real<em> action is going to start next chapter with Breezepaw. I think he is everyone's favorite character. He will be followed by Blueflower, Blossomfrost, and perhaps, Duskkit. Also, I need suggestions for warriors names for a couple characters who may or may not be getting them.**

**Please review some for Cloudpaw of BloomClan, Lynxpaw of BloomClan, Breezepaw of OakClan, and Pinepaw of OakClan. Maybe even give a reason if you want. I just want ideas from my loyal reviewers.**

**I just started highschool and got my wisdom teeth pulled, so my updates are either going to be farther apart or less words. I ask you to please bare wih me as I get situated with my new schedule.**

**Lastly, the poll on my profile for the prequeal is still open. If you haven't voted, review then check it out.**


	14. Remember

**I would like to thank everyone who gave me names for our four apprentices. I'm pretty sure what they will be named. When Breezepaw is called Breezeblaze, that isn't his warrior name, but his name as a she-cat's mate. I don't want any confusion among my loyal reviewers. (Marshmellowtime, Nightfangfox, Mossshine, Violetsong, The Last Sketch, RedWolf, Stormbreeze of WindClan, Mintfrost29, Phantomflower, KTDLover, Lamplighter at Midnight, Moonblaze 13, Tangleflame, SilverWolf1499.)**

**Time: Day 4**

**Character: Breezepaw of OakClan**

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><p><strong>Ch.12 Remember<strong>

The world seemed like a dark abyss, everything I was sure of, swirling out of my reach. The smells and noises that managed to reach my brains made no sense.

The fresh scent of running water seemed too overpowering, too close. The saltiness of slimy fish encased my unconscious body. Though I physically couldn't, my mind reeled with disgust.

I wanted to wake up, I truly did. My claws ached to dig into soft, she-cat flesh. They wanted crimson blood to drain into the rivers I could smell too well. The smell of fresh blood would curdle the screams of my weak guards.

It would also stop their chatter. My ears couldn't make out anything exact, but the buzz droned on, like a hive of bees. My ears rang with the noise as I lay limp, unable to block the noise with my paw.

When it seemed like my eyes would never open for me, the movement around me stopped. Rocks, hills, and ditches no longer shook my seemingly frail body. I could no longer hear Monster's heavy breaths as he tried to keep up with the patrol.

The smell of a medicine den penetrated all my pores. Herbs and plants were all around me, sitting on self upon self, waiting for a weak cat to put them to use. They might have saved my life, but I didn't have to like them.

Another sunrise seemed to have past, when my eyes flew open. I let out an uncalled for squeal as crusted goo flaked into my eye. I blink the bloodshot green orbs several times before my vision clears enough for me to tell where I am.

Stone walls were all around me, like I was back in the apprentice den. I expected Pinepaw to be standing over me with a scowl on his face, like he was begging to be clawed. I quickly flipped over to face him with a snarl on my face.

A pain stabbed me in the side, and a small moan of agony escaped my mouth. I gingerly flipped to my other side as the feeling subsided. "Just laugh away," I said, the breath vanishing from my lungs and my eyes closing.

When the chuckles of apprentice never reached my ears, I pried my eyes open again to get a better look around. That is when I saw this wasn't my apprentice den, I should have guessed because of the smell of herbs.

"Spottedfire," I called out to the medicine den, quietly because I didn't want to deal with she-cats trying to help me. "I need some medicine or something." My words burned my throat as they came out, causing me to cough up blood and bile.

As I tried to cease hacking up a lung, I froze as I spotted a cat sitting next to my nest. I blinked again to clear my eyes, to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. I don't want to add that to my strange symptoms.

I peered once again over the edge of my nest, ignoring the stiffness in my neck. Some of my joints crack, but I pushed them to the back of my mind, just like a real warrior.

A cream-colored she-cat was my visitor with her head dropped over in sleep. I can see her chest rise and fall with each breath she takes. She looked beautiful as she slept beside me so peacefully.

I"m sure I would have remembered such a beautiful cat, even with my mind acting up. There was no way I would have picked Blossomfrost over this stunning piece of fur.

"Hey, darling," I coo to her, my tail slowly running down her flank. Just feeling her fur against mine fills me with energy to return me to my former self. "I could show you outside for some fun. Either you want to, or I force you."

My smile turns upside down as she doesn't wake. I let out a small chuckle as her skin ripples where I touched it; a shiver runs through her body while a soft mew escapes her lips. I twine by tail with hers, playing with the limp flesh.

I feel strong, despite the scars that litter my pelt. I lean out of my moss bed to run my sandy tongue against the unruly fur on her head. My well-trained muscles seem to spasm and my bedding flies around the cave.

I dig my claws into the solid rock, making a ear-piercing scratching sound. A red feather is delicately floating the air. My paw flashes out in an attempt to spear with my unsheathed claws.

The sudden movement catches my body by surprise. The stone was seem to shift with a rippling effect and the red of the feather seems to cover the walls. I stumble back into my nest, not understanding what was happening to me.

My breath catches in my lungs, burning my parched throat. The cardinal's fluff lands on the crown of her head, exactly where I planned to rasp my tongue. It seemed to pause for the fraction of a second before running down her arched neck.

Her eyes pop open to reveal a deep, heavenly brown. I shake my head to pry mine from hers. "So, beautiful," I say, trying to charm my way in her good graces, and make some sense of what was going on. "Any clue where I might me."

Brief snippets of conversations come back, but no enough to give me a mental picture. Vague memories of dangerous she-cat come to mind, but I can't even decide where I get such a ridiculous idea from.

She looked at me with horror in her stunningly beautiful eyes and raced away. "Come back," I called, feeling like a complete fool. My blood lose must be getting to my head if I was calling out to she-cats.

She doesn't come back, but a white she-cat rises from the nest beside me. Her fur is messed up, matted and ragged. When she rises from her nest, she stretches her back, reaching as far as she can. She sifts and I can see dark brown dapples on her pelt.

"She-cats are all over this place," I sigh, still feeling strange. "Why are there so many useless lumps of fur?" I can muster my usual contempt, it takes energy I just don't posses at the moment.

If I expect a certain response, I don't get it. Instead green meets green, and I'm happy to say, all I do is give a closed mouth smirk. The face stirs memories with two names, OakClan and Blossomfrost.

"Breezepaw," gasps the cat across from me. "What are you doing here?" A look of pure confusion spread across her face. "I thought you were dead." Her last words fall flat, and I want to smack the tiny grin off her face.

I don't; I have an odd feeling we are on a leveled playing field, neither of us has the upper hand. "Can't a tom go wherever he wants to. I think the better question is what in StarClan's name you are doing here." I flash my dull teeth at her.

"We don't use StarClan's name in vain," said a skinny white she-cat, appearing from behind a stone slab. Her light blue eyes were glazed over with a milky film, marking that she was the weakest form of a cat. "Especially not in the medicine den where StarClan themselves listens."

"I don't think StarClan has a problem with what a tom does." My words come out with another sputtering cough, spit dripping down my chin. Before I could insult her further, she stuffed a ball of moss in my mouth.

"Chew on that," she told me. "It should clean up that blood dribbling down you face. I don't want to look like a mess when Icepaw comes to escort you away."

I mumbled by discontent with no success. My teeth dug deeper into the wad with each word I spoke, making breathing even harder. I thought she was trying to suffocate me until pockets of air popped in my jaws.

The blind she-cat turned to my upstart mate and spoke to her like she was someone worth speaking to. "Leopardheart is going to come take you to meet Petalstar. You still aren't a warrior yet, but you probably will by the end of the day."

"Ha," I said, laughing at that thought, spitting the pieces of moss out with varying degrees of success. "She is just a useless lump of fur like all she-cats in OakClan. Good only for raising kits." My words seemed to vibrate through the small cavern. I tried to rise to my paws to give my mate a nice smack, but my legs buckled and I collapsed, unceremoniously, to the ground.

"OakClan," muttered the looney medicine cat to herself. "That is why Blossomfrost has a warrior's name. Blossom frost, two separate parts. There is another Clan in the forest. Maybe across the ever-flowing river."

It burned to my soul that she thought Blossomfrost, my weakling of a mate, was a warrior. "She-cats can't be warriors," I blurted out, not caring for the consequences. Nothing could damage me more than whatever had happened prior to me getting here. "They are too weak for the rigors of fighting."

"Try telling that to the BloomClan she-cats," said ginger furred tom, licking his fur to calm the crazy spikes. "They'll rip you to shreds and throw your flesh to the fish."

I opened my mouth to speak, but the blind medicine cat beat me to it. "Flamewhisper," she said sweetly, yet still commanding, "will you take Breezeblaze with Blossomfrost when she goes to Petalstar. I think they have some valuable information."

"I thought Leopardheart was going to pick them up," he said, rubbing against his mates fur. He purred as he licked behind her ears. "Do you not trust the deputy."

"She can be a little vicious," she said softly, almost so I couldn't hear. "She might hurt the tom who came to us so battered. I think Fallowheart already beat him."

"That is an understatement," muttered Blossomfrost, close to my ear. It was like she was trying to tell me something important.

"I don't care about you opinions," I whispered harshly back. "She probably seemed scary to a coward like you. You don't know how to fight."

"My new friends are going to teach me," she said, unsheathing her pitiful claws. I have to admit, they were sharp and glistening with danger. I would trade my used claws for her fresh ones.

Suddenly a powerfully built cat burst through the entrance. I thought it was a tom because she looked like she could kick some butt, but her features were too delicate. "I'm here to collect Blossomfrost. If she isn't awake, wake her up."

I saw the tom motion for us to stay silence, and I was more willing to obey him then the blind medicine cat. His mate smiled at the she-cat. "Good morning, Leopardheart."

"There is no time to pretend I like you, Cloudblossom," said Leopardheart like a true OakClan tom. "I need the loner delivered because I have to gather morning patrols. Prey won't hunt itself, you know."

Cloudblossom looked like she was stifling a gasp, and her milky eyes looked shocked. "I think Breezeblaze should talk to Petalstar with Blossomfrost. They are both from another Clan, OakClan."

"Yea," I said, wanting to prove to myself I hadn't been permanently changed. "We keep she-cats locked up in dark dens where they can't see the sunlight. There only purpose is to have kits. Otherwise, they are completely useless."

Miss High and Mighty didn't take it very well. She slowly sauntered over to where I was sitting, grinning an evil grin the whole time. "You will be the one living in a dark den until Icepaw is ready to have kits. And trust me, that is a long time to wait with no sunlight."

I tried to rise to my paws, so I could look her straight in the eye, but my muscles refused to listen. I was being backed into a corner and had the feeling I had been in this situation, only with the roles reversed.

"I can kill you quickly," she said, unsheathing her long claws. "I don't need you alive if Blossomfrost is from your Clan too. She can tell me everything I need to know. You are an expandable tom, one that can be disposed of."

I thought my wonderful life was going to brought to a pitiful close when Blossomfrost stepped in from of my attacker. "You can't hurt him," she said, though I bet she didn't know why. "Look how he can't even defend himself. He will come with me to Petalstar, and we can tell her all about our Clan. Please Leopardheart."

"I just said I don't need him," she said, speaking to my mate as though she was a stupid kit. Well, she is, but that is beside the point. "You can tell me everything."

Tears welled up in my mates eyes, and for the first time in my life, I felt a little sympathy for her. "I don't know all that Breezepaw knows. He was training to be a warrior; I was just waiting for him to get his name so I could be mated with."

The she-cat, Leopardheart, had a malicious grin on here face. "Then drag him to her den. He can't rise to his weak little paws, but he has to get there some how. I think a nice bloody battle would suit my restless paws."

I wanted to tell her Adderstar and Nightclaw would splatter her blood and the rest of this Clan's into the river if they dared to attack. But, I wanted to see them die. I keep my mouth close a the tom grabbed me by the scruff of the neck like I was just a kit.

"I would advise you to keep your mouth closed and claw sheathed," he said through my fur. His words were mumbled, but I got the gist of what he was try to say. "I assume you want to live."

"Of course I want to live," I snapped at him. "Do you think I'm suicidal?" My words came out bitter, full of resentment for this situation I was in.

He shook his head, and my body swung with the movement. "You just seem to be begging for death. Most cats will be sleeping, but I wouldn't mock Petalstar. She is a ruthless leader without an mercy for toms."

"She is a female version of Adderstar," I said, so quietly, only myself could hear it. "Leopardheart is like Nightclaw and I am like Icepaw."

I stopped myself, when I spoke the name, Icepaw. No face came to my mind, just a black space where something should have been. "Who is Icepaw?" I asked the toms whose jaw I dangled in.

"She is my daughter," he said, clenching his teeth tighter around my fur. I responded by struggling, causing my taut skin to tear. My blood dribbled down his face, ans he spoke as he spat it weakly on my coat. "And I wish she wasn't your mate."

"I wish the same thing," I said, grinning at a brown she-cat with ginger stripes. "I already have a mate who is scared of me, beautiful Blossomfrost."

"You will be scared of her," he said, a touch of sadness in his voice, like he was speaking from his memories that weren't his own. "That is the way things are in BloomClan; you need to listen to me."

"I don't have to listen to you," I told him as I swung above the ground, in the dust of Blossomfrost and Leopardheart. "You are a tom who has been enslaved by she-cats."

"And you a a tom who enslaves she-cats," he told be when he spat me out at the base of a cavern entrance. "I don't even know which is worse." All his anger seemed to come out in that sentence, like a fire ravaging the forest.

As I lay on the ground, unable to move on my own, his words really tore into my heart. For some reason, what all the she-cats have been trying to tell me, reached me. All it took was one broken tom.

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><p><strong>My chapters are going to be a little shorter because I don't want to leave everyone hanging for weeks at a time. That means the next chapter will be Breezepaw again. I hope I didn't mess him up too badly. He does have various cuts and scars along with being unconsciousin a coma for a couple days. He also doesn't remember much.**

**I'm writing a one-shot called _Daylight Only_ about Harveymoon and Macgyver because I believe they deserve a story. If you are reading this a while after I post this, could you check out that story. I would really appreciate it.**

**My create-a-cat is done. The alliances and prologue should be posted soon as a teaser. The story will be started after I finish this one. **

**The title of this chapter is in rememberance of 9/11, when terrioists attacked the World Trade Center 10 years ago. Let us not forget all those who died because they were at work or trying to save those trapped in the burning building.**

**I have another question for everyone, so I can get more reviews; "Which cat would you like to see die the most?" It doesn't have to be one of the mains, just a cat from either Clan. If you tell me, that just might happen.**


	15. Mutual

**I'm not a big fan of this chapter, but the Blossom/Breeze action is really important. I hope Breeze's little transition is realistic. He is still slightly loopy and mentally unstable. I would like to thank everyone; they inspired me to write when I wanted to sit and be lazy. (TalonfootandRipplestream4Ever, Moonblaze 13, RedWolf, Mintfrost29, BlackflameofPhoenixClan, Violetsong, Marshmellowtime, Phantomflower, Tangleflame, KTD Lover, AmberWo0d, SilverWolf1499, Lamplighter at Midnight, The Last Sketch, Miryam Lee.)**

**Time: Day 4**

**Character: Breezepaw/blaze of OakClan/BloomClan**

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><p><strong>Ch.13 Mutual<strong>

"Bring them in," said a loud-booming voice, tearing me out of my self-hate. I seemed to gather whatever strength I had in me, much like Adderstar's voice. "The time of the meeting has arrived."

The ginger tom padded away from me, maybe deciding my heart was too cold for his compassion. "I hope you are okay for Icepaw's sake. She shouldn't have to bare the loss of another mate."

"I hope I'm okay too," I mumbled to myself. These she-cats could hurt me, only because I was weakened by something I had no memory of. "It would be unfortunate to be killed after I conquered most of my pain."

My tone was lucid, I mirrored what I was feeling. Everything now was only a dream, maybe even a nightmare. The sky was a swirl of blue and white, twirling before my very eyes.

No cats ventured near me. A blueish gray she-cat waved to my mate with a crippled paw. Blossomfrost remained by my a side, a nervous smile gracing her face as she waved back to her the feasting she-cat.

"Let's go Breezepaw," she said, more gentle than anything I ever said to her. "I've heard it isn't wise to keep BloomClan's leader waiting."

I didn't want her to be the first to enter, so I weakly scrambled to my paws. The whole world spun before me, and I thought I was going to vomit up all the contents of my stomach. I retched up globs of bile, but nothing substantial spilled out.

I thought I was going to join StarClan right there when I felt soft, warm fur rub against my shoulder. "Breezepaw," said the voice, "lean on my shoulder. I'm not talking to Petalstar without you. You are better then nothing."

Even thought I couldn't make out my mate's face, she was the only one who called me Breezepaw, not Breezeblaze.. Her tone was the sweet one I had often heard when she spoke to Moonfrost; she had never used it when speaking to me.

"Hurry up, Blossomfrost and Breezeblaze," called the leader, anger leaking into her voice. "I will not wait for an upstart rogue and a captured tom."

Breezeblaze, what a ridiculous name. Why would they give me a warrior name if they considered me inferior? It would be like giving a she-cat an individual name. Just plain stupid.

While my mind was spiraling out of control, I didn't realize Blossomfrost was leading me into the darkness. I thought I was going blind until I saw a dark shape against the far wall. It was far bigger than any cat should be.

"You are only a Clan because your stinkin' leader is a giant. If she was normal size, the toms would rise up and claim their right to lead." My voice wavered in fear and my words slurred together, like I was sleep deprived. I couldn't even figure out who I was talking too.

Blossomfrost looked at me, a hint of worry in her green eyes. "Petalstar is a normal cat; she just has the airs of a leader. She looks likes Nightclaw in a weird sort of way." I could see she was trying hard to convince me, her voice had taken a pleading edge.

The name Nightclaw made me recoil with untamed disgust. I couldn't figure out who or why, but a deep feeling of being left behind lingered over my mass confusion. "Who is Nightclaw and what does he look like?"

Blossomfrost looked at me, shock gracing her delicate features. "He is a black tom," she said slowly, like she was seriously considering what she was going to say. "He was your mentor in OakClan, a ruthless and soulless cat. He, um," she paused, like she was creating a story or fishing through her memories. "is the one who caused you to lose your memories. He was beating you senseless when Danger rescued you."

That is why my feeling for him were so strong. Still, for some strange reason, her story didn't seem to really match up. The deepest depths of my mind disagreed with her story. "Who is Danger?" I asked, still not getting the full picture. Why did my mind swirl with pure, untainted hatred.

"No one to worry about," said Blossomfrost. They way she said it, made it sound like something to worry about.

So, if I trusted Blossomfrost, Petalstar was a normal cat, Nightclaw caused me to forget everything, and Danger was no one to worry about. I wanted to trust her, she was that only cat I knew, but she was also a she-cat.

"I'm not a normal cat," said Petalstar, finally speaking up. I gulped, preparing myself for the form of a huge monster. "I'm one with things to do. Now tell me whatever Cloudblossom said was so important."

When a lithe black cat appeared from the darkness, I nearly choked in relief, blaming my illness as the reason for my madness. "It was the shadows," I coughed and laughed until the room started to spin.

When I came around, both Blossomfrost and Petalstar had moved into a position closer to me. "Just a weak tom," I heard one of them mutter. My hearing was so messed up, it could have been either.

"I'm not weak," I mumbled, my voice sounding horse even to me. "We toms are strong, not like you she-cats."

"You must excuse him," said Blossomfrost quickly, trying to cover me. "The two of us come from a different Clan," she said, like she had to prove herself to this fake she-cat. "OakClan, from across the river."

It was fun to watch her flounder about; I could almost picture Nightclaw instead of Petalstar. She did recover to fast for my liking. "OakClan died out a long time ago," she said. "There is only one Clan here: BloomClan."

"No there isn't," I said, ignoring my pain and laughing. "There is a Clan where toms rule. A Clan were cats like you are kept away. A Clan were toms are stronger."

Even as I said it and laughed, something didn't feel right. I didn't have tome to think because the world went black for me again. "Take him to the den, Leopardheart,"

"No!" cried Blossomfrost. "He knows everything that I don't know. He was the deputy's apprentice while I was just a useless mate. Please, keep him here for just a little longer."

"Fine," huffed Petalstar, her claws clinking against the floor. She jabbed me with a sharp claw and the pain brought me spiraling back. I gasped sharply at the feeling of blood easing from my scabbed cuts.

"I'll be good," I squealed, though it hurt just as much as my wounds. "I just want to be freed at the end. I want to go back to OakClan."

"You will be good because your life depends on it," said Petalstar, walking with her back towards me. "You misbehave, Icepaw will have to find a new mate. You will be swimming with the fish."

I tried to leap and her, but I crashed to the floor, only a mouse-tail from my original position. The ground jarred my already weak bones, and I bit mt tongue trying to keep a pained mew from escaping my jaws.

"Blossomfrost," commanded Petalstar, " you will watch Breezepaw. Kill him if he even dares to move an inch." She hadn't even turned to watch me suffer my humiliation.

"But," said Blossomfrost, not moving an inch, her body frozen in fear. I could see her eye glaze over. I swallowed hard, remembering all the times she looked at me like that.

"You are a warrior of BloomClan," said Petalstar, her voice rigid. "You don't question your leader. You obey her every command. Do you understand?"

"I understand," said Blossomfrost, breathing out hard. She padded over to me, and I could see her tail dragging across the floor. Some small pebbles splattered out of the way.

"You don't know how to fight," I hissed at Blossomfrost, not nearly loud for the leader to hear. "I bet all the she-cats think you can hunt, fight, and survive in the wild."

"Just leave me alone," she said to me softly. "I just want them to teach me. I don't think I belong with Petalstar's heartless cats."

"Where do you belong?" I asked her, genuinely.

She looked taken back by my unexpected kindness; I was too. "I don't know. I just see Adderstar's cruel smile in Petalstar's face. BloomClan seems as bad as OakClan."

"I see it too," I said, barring my heart to her. "I feel like I never have before; I feel unimportant and useless. In a odd sort of way, I fell kind of like those she-cats I have abused. My mind seems to be all mixed up with blank spaces and terrible memories."

"What are you two saying?" cried Petalstar, her patience dropping. "It better be about the strongest warriors and best hunters of your OakClan."

"Defiantly," assured Blossomfrost, speaking to the leader. To me, she whispered in a hushed voice, "we will resolve all the problems."

"Whatever the problems they are," I said, gathering a weak chuckle. It earned me a looked from Petalstar. "I mean," I said, speaking louder then was necessary, " Jadeclaw is a ruthless fighter."

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><p><strong>I know it is super short, but it would take me another two weeks to get it to normal length. My life is so hectic, I only have around ten minutes a day to write. I hope the message I'm sending you makes up for it. <strong>

**The next chapter will be Blueflower. Then, we will visit Duskkit and Fox. What happened between our two misfits and Petalstar will remain a secret for awhile.**

**Please review. I won't beg, but it makes me much more compeled to put time aside to write.**


	16. Teacher

**I know this chapter took forever to come out, but I wanted it to be the best it could be. Blueflower was hard to right because she is a very soft, frightened she-cat, but she loves her kits to death. It was challenging to write, but I think she came out wonderfully. I would like to thank all my reviews; you guys inspire me to write. (Marshmellowtime, Broken Wolf' Soul Spirit, KTD Lover, BlackflameofPhoneixClan, Mossshine, RedWolf, ADHD kid in jail, SilverWolf1499, Mintfrost29, Brightcloud of the Clans, Phantomflower.)**

**Time: Day 3**

**Character: Blueflower of OakClan**

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><p><strong>Ch. 14 Teacher<strong>

I lay down in my brittle nest. The sun had just risen, but I was already tired out. My right eye was swollen shut, and I could barely see. The gray mush Waterberry had applied only made the wound sting more.

I shifted the smallest amount, not wanting to wake my kits. A small thorn pricked against my tail, the result of a uncaring apprentice. It twitch the tiniest amount in the pain of surprise, but it attracted the attention of a half-awake kitten.

"Look at the ferocious beast," said Nightkit, a yawn erupting over his tiny face. "It is just swinging carelessly from the trees."

Nightoak did nothing to stop him as he got into a hunting crouch, his tiny claws piercing the mossy ground. "The hunter pounces in his prey," he cried as he leaped towards my slowly moving tail.

I let out a low pitch cry when I felt his claws dig into my fluffy tail. The pain seemed nonexistent to some instances that I remembered. "Pain is nothing," I hissed to myself, quiet enough that no one heard.

When Nightkit started climbing all over my scarred back, I gave Nightoak a pitiful look. She looked slowly from me to her wild kit and started grooming her fur. Her frozen heart flashed briefly in her eyes, cold and distant.

Blood dripped down my back, melding into my already matted and unruly fur. I hadn't cleaned it in days, there was really no point. Nightclaw would run his claws and ruin my careful job.

"Are you alright, Mommy," said Lilackit. She must have just woken because she snuggled closer to my fur, trying to fend of the cool morning breeze. "You look like you are in pain. I could go fetch Waterberry or Gingerfrost for you. They are always willing to help."

Her innocence made me smile; she thought the whole world was fair and equal. No matter how many times Nightclaw beat me, she seemed to see goodness in him, in toms as a whole.

"I'm okay," I gritted through my teeth. I was trying to not upset Nightkit with any sudden movements. If he tumbled from my back, Adderstar's answer would be unleashed upon me.

"I'll be gone soon," I whispered to help me get through the pain. The more blood that dripped, the worse I felt. I looked up towards StarClan, hoping that my kits would be too sleepy-eyed to notice my dilemma.

"What do you mean you'll be gone?" asked my other she-kit, Rosekit. Her little tongue peaked out of mouth as she yawned. "Are you going to be leaving us? I thought you loved us."

"I really love both of you," I said, grief leaking into my voice. "but I can't stay. This is my last day in the nursery." I wrapped my tail around them, hoping that would convey by sadness more then my words could.

Lilackit cuddled even closer to me, like she was trying to remember my scent. "Why are you going? We need you here. You protect us from our father. I don't think he knows we are his daughters."

"He knows who you guys are," I told her, my heart crying out. "He just doesn't love you like he loves Dawnkit and Icekit. You must never trust a tom, understand."

"What about Ashkit," said Rosekit, bringing up her mate for the first time. "He isn't bad. He is so cute when he curls up to Ivyfrost."

"That is because he is only one moon old," I told her, hating every word I said. "You must never make him angry. You must be a good she-kit when I go."

"You never said why you are going," wailed Lilackit. "Is it some secret that is too important for us to know. Do you even know?"

A small tear ran down my face and splattered against Rosekit's soft gray fur. "Your brother are being made into apprentices, so I must go back with the queens not nursing kits. I have already told you that sweeties, don't you remember?"

"But what about us," cried an indignant Rosekit. "Shouldn't we be going with you. Who will take care of us. Surely not Nightoak." The light gray kits whispered the last part as a shudder ripped through her small frame.

"I'd hate if you stayed with me and Mother," spat Nightkit at his mate and her sister. "You'll probably have to wait in the corner like the other she-kits with younger mates." With that, he scampered over to his mother, tripping over his big paws.

"Don't worry," I cooed to them, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "Twanyleaf is going to watch you for me. You know she will take good care of you."

"I thought Rainkit was Dawnkit's mate," said Lilackit, her voice edged with confusion. "Doesn't she become a young queen."

I licked my little kit on the head nervously, worried her intelligence would get her beaten. "Nightclaw persuaded Adderstar to let Rainkit stay her awhile longer. He didn't want his son's mate to die from malnutrition so early."

I tried to pretend to stay unaffected by my words, but I couldn't. I turned by head away from my two daughters to where my two sons were playing. The only reason Nightclaw cared about Rainkit was because she could carry Dawnkit's kits one day.

The two of them were tackling each other on the ground, getting pieces of dust and dirt in their pelts. "Could you please come over here you two," I called to them softly. "You are getting so dirty playing like that."

Rosekit and Lilackit scuttled away to Twanyleaf with gentle probing from my tail. Icekit ran over, his long white fur blowing in the soft breeze. "What is it Mother? We always play like that and you have never said anything." he asked me, some sweetness lingering in his voice.

Dawnkit took his time, like he was already an apprentice. His green eyes stared at me, identical to Nightclaw's. Fear came to my eyes; I was afraid of my own kit. "What is is?" His voice was so different then his brother's.

"I just wanted to clean up your fur," I muttered softly, the words scraping my throat. "Your apprentice ceremony is today, and I want your father to be proud of you." The fact the Icekit was happily mewing warmed my heart.

"Okay," he huffed, sauntering the last distance. "Just to make Father proud. I bet I'll get some awesome mentor, like Longwhisker. He can't speak, but he sure can fight."

"I'm sure you will sweetie," I mewed confidently as I licked the fluffy hair on his head. His black fur felt silky under my tongue, quietly obeying where I wanted it to go.

Dawnkit suddenly pulled away and turned to hiss at me. "I'm not your sweetie," he snapped. "I'll get Rainkit to clean my fur to me." With that last word, he stalked over to Twanyleaf, Rainkit, and my two beautiful daughters.

I tried to push his rejection out my my mind, but it kept replaying. I would only get worse as it went on. Apprentices always came back crueler then they left. Even precious Snowkit, now paw, was turning.

We queens had hope he would become our protector. He would save Skyfrost from whatever harm befell her. But soon, he was the reason she hurt. He turned from our side, like every other tom who had left the nursery.

"Keep up the cleaning, Mother," said Icekit as I stopped, my mind consumed by memories. "I want to look the best for my apprentice ceremony. I wonder who I'll get as a mentor. All the good warrior are already taken."

I smiled, grinning into his fur as I cleaned his neck fuzz. "I heard Pinepaw was being made into a warrior. Maybe you'll get Jadeclaw."

I tried to force the smile to stay put, but my lips curled up in fury. Jadeclaw had no mate, but he caused all queens some amount of pain. The two bite marks are my tail started to throb harder.

I didn't want to see my darling Icekit turned into a vicious monster. Seeing his adorable smile, I curled my tail tight around him, feeling his warmth seep into my skin.

"Are you alright, Mother," said my adorable darling. "Are you sick or something. Spottedfire could treat you; I'll even fetch him for you."

Tears sprang to my eyes with his sweet innocent words. "Never change who you are." I told him. "You are perfect the way you are, and other can't change you. You will always be my little tom-kit."

"Your embarrassing me, Blueflower," said Icekit, his personality changing drastically. He pulled away from me, causing his fur to spike up where my tongue was dragged across it.

My heart tore again until I saw Nightclaw in the doorway, then, it just stopped. Terror was etched on my face, and I couldn't speak. Instead, I motioned Dawnkit back towards me, hoping my mate would just leave me alone.

"Good morning, Blueflower," sneered Nightclaw, grinning at me viciously, but smiling sweetly at an excited Dawnkit and Icekit. "Are you two ready to be apprentices?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Father," cried out Icekit. He shifted from side to side, unable to contain his emotions any longer. "I can't wait. Do you and Adderstar have a good mentor picked out for me?"

The black tom ignored his hyperactive son. "Follow me, you three." Then when he turned around, only two of the three on his trail.

"Follow him, Rainkit," muttered Twanyleaf to the yawning cream-colored she-cat. "Your mate is becoming an apprentice. It is your duty to join him." She looked distraught as Rainkit stumbled to her large paws.

"Not her, you stupid she-cat," snapped Nightclaw, fury burning in his eyes. "Blueflower." I stumbled back when my name was mentioned, horror crossing my soft features. "Blueflower must come to the ceremony."

My worst nightmares leaped at me, and I stumbled back in shock, nearly falling on Rainkit. No words could spill from my mouth, they knew the consequence of speaking back to Nightclaw. Instead, I followed behind my two tom-kits.

Rosekit looked like she would tail along after me, but Lilackit and Twanyleaf held her back. "She would never leave you two willingly," I heard her whispered softly, hugging the three unfortunate kits. "She loves you too much."

I could hear Rosekit and Lilackit wishing me the best of luck in the back of their minds, their words traveling the empty space. I risked a slight wave of my tail, feeling like it might be my last good bye.

The mass of gathered toms made me wince. I could see their vicious eyes looking at me, trying to decide why I was present. Dunewind even gave me a sickly sweet smile that made me shudder down to my bones.

"She's mine," snapped Nightclaw, taking a swipe at the young warrior. "You know queens always come to the apprentice ceremony of their first tom-kits." The way he said it displayed his distaste for the custom.

Before Dunewind could say something back to my mate, Adderstar appeared on the top of the Great Stone with a striped brown tabby tom standing regally next to him. A silvery blue she-cat was hidden behind the two powerful toms.

She was the only she-cat in the crowd beside myself, but she looked different then me in every way. I could see my own reflection in the tom's eyes, defeated and weak, my bad eye dripping puss and showing my inability to stand up for myself.

Moonfrost, the young tom's mate, looked like she owned the world. Her deep green eyes showed no weakness, only perseverance. The mini scars on her back didn't display cowardice, but her restless spirit and will to be free.

She stared ahead even as Adderstar's words flew across the clearing, striking fear into my heart. I could see Dawnkit and Icekit, sitting at the front of the crowd, shaking with excitement. I wished one bit of their confidence could spill over to me.

"I have all the toms assembled here together to witness the rippling exchange of power," announced Adderstar, his voice far more powerful then his size would leave you guessing. "The apprentice becomes the warrior, and two kits begin their path for greatness."

The crowd cheered, their roars making me feel nervous. It felt like they were closing around me, cutting of my circulation. I wrapped my tail around my paws, trying to get my blood circulating again.

"We welcome a new warrior among our ranks," he shouted, the cheering dying down instantly, like they feared him too. "Pinepaw has been taught out ways Jadeclaw. He has learned dominance over she-cats."

That is when Moonfrost was pushed forward, stumbling as she approached the edge. She turned to hiss at who ever shoved her, but something forced her back towards the mass. "You can't keep treating us like this forever!" she shouted.

Nightclaw started to laugh. It seemed to spread like green-cough and soon, they were all laughing. "Show her your power," cried Adderstar, revealing in his command.

I felt sick to my stomach, helpless to stop what I knew was about to happen. My eyes were glued on the Pinepaw's glistening claws, shining through the air. As they sliced downward, the contents of my stomach shifted.

Blood dripped down Moonfrost's face to form the She-Cats Trail. It poured slowly at first, staining her unblemished face. As Pinepaw's claw cut deeper, the blood welled faster.

"We are stronger than you think," she shouted, until another slash of Pinepaw's claws tore her mouth. She spat a wad of blood red spit onto the ground. I could see she wanted it to splatter on Adderstar's bad eye, to commemorate Whiteoak.

My vision blurred as I saw myself, Bluefrost at the time, standing up there. Nightpaw stood over me, the fury still in his eyes. I fell to the ground, my legs to weak to hold me.

Suddenly, amid the blood-lustful cheering, a brown paw helped me up. "Stay strong and talk to Moonfrost and the reptile sisters. They have a plan." He melted back into the mass as soon as my legs locked to keep me up.

"Pinepaw is powerful," cried Adderstar, silencing the wild toms and chilling my heart. "He has shown he is worthy to be a full OakClan warrior. Moonfrost has bowed down before him."

As my eyes rose to meet Moonfrost's, I saw them blazing with green fury. For some strange reason, she wasn't defeated. Her blood might be dripping from the Great Stone, but it was still boiling in her veins.

She hadn't bowed down before Pinepaw. She was just as powerful as before. Her spirit hadn't been broken like all the she-cats who went before her. Adderstar didn't realize that this trail had been broken for he continued to speak.

"From now on, he shall be known as Pinethorn, for his sharp claws that don't hesitate to cut flesh." The newly named Pinethorn roared his approval, rearing on his hind paws and showing the world his blood coated claws.

"Pinethorn, Pinethorn, Pinethorn," chanted all the toms in the clearing. I could see Dawnkit and Icekit wiggling with anticipation. I know they were imagining the entire Clan shouting their names.

Chants still feared the clearing when I was pushed from behind. "Up you go, she-cat," cried someone from behind me. "Time to get your scars."

My heart dropped as one paws was placed in front of the others. I could barely muster the strength to leap from one steppingstone to the next. My legs felt like liquid, without the muscle to support my weight.

"We're going to be apprentices, Blueflower," said Icekit as he quickly bounded beside me. I managed a weak smile for my son until Nightclaw slashed it off my face. I yowled as blood slid into my mouth and down my jaw.

"You are not to speak to a she-cat like an equal," whispered Nightclaw, not wishing to draw the attention of the entire meeting. "She is far below you, right Icekit."

"Yes, Father," said Icekit, his head hanging low. He didn't remain remorseful for long; when he reached the next ledge, his head perked right back up. It seemed he had already forgotten my pain.

The pain in my jaw seemed to dull next to the agony in my heart. Icekit was already changing, forgetting the world of a she-cat. How long until he was just like his father?

When I reached the top, Adderstar slashed me on the back, causing me to spiral from my thoughts. "Scream," he spoke softly in my ear. "The toms need a show."

He turned away from my bloody face to address the whole congregation. "Dawnkit and Icekit are ready to move up in the ladder of command. Their mother, Blueflower, is here to be beaten."

Howls filled the clearing, and I could see my reflection in their eyes. Puss and rotting skin covered the right side of my face, the stench seeming so normal to me. Blood oozed down my back like snow drips into the nursery on a cold leaf-bare day.

Dawnkit slid to my right as Icekit scuttled to my left. Neither of them looked like me, they were pure Nightclaw. Their tiny claws were ready to draw blood for the first time.

"To show that they are ready to be warriors, they will hunt their first prey, a she-cat," shouted Adderstar. At the same time, I let out a curdling scream.

It was half from the pain, my skin was ripping and tearing. My pelt felt like it was on fire, the agony was so great. Their claws weren't dulled down by hunting or collecting herbs for Spottedfire, they were fresh.

Their claws also stabbed my heart. My own kits were attacking me, the one who had raised them. The blood seemed to disappeared as I remembered them playing with their sisters, not knowing they were supposed to hate them.

Adderstar pushed me aside onto Moonleaf. I had, apparently, fulfilled my purpose. She tried to usher me out of the view of the toms. "Get to the queen's den," she told me. "We can help you there."

"I want to see my sons," I told her, trying to push her out of the way. All I succeeded in doing was smearing my blood over her ragged fur. She did managed to pry me up so I could see the kits I had raised.

"Icekit has shown his worth as a member of OakClan," cried Adderstar as my sweet, naive son basked in his raise. "Icepaw, your mentor will be Whitestripe."

The huge white warrior bounded up the ledges with fearsome strength. He looked down upon Icepaw like he was a bug but smiled all the same. "I was that small once," he whispered, so only those close could hear.

"Icepaw, Icepaw, Icepaw," chanted all the toms, plus me. Moonleaf's eyes seemed to glaze over, like she was some place else; some place better then this.

"Dawnkit has also shown that he is ready to take his place. Even before now, he has shown the skill required to rank highly among the toms." Everyone was quite, and Nightclaw had a smirk on his face. "Dawnpaw, I will be your mentor."

It was quiet, I could hear the bugs chirping in the distance. Finally, the chant started and I was happy to join along. "Dawnpaw, Dawnpaw, Dawnpaw!"

My heart was still tumbling with emotions as some tom lead Moonleaf and myself to the queen's den. It seemed so dark and gloomy, like some one had turned the sun off.

My head spun from blood loss and the wild atmosphere of the ceremony. Faces spun in and out of my vision, like butterflies I used to chase when I was a kit.

Maybe I was a kit again. "Rustkit," I shouted, crying out for my childhood friend. "Do you want to play catch the moss? I'm sure Whiteoak will let you."

"Is she alright." "Is she crazy?" "What happened to her?" "Who is Rustkit?" "Does she know that Whiteoak is dead?" These voices seemed to draw me away from my hallucination.

I blinked my eyes, now seeing what was really going on around me. Worried eyes looked into mine, trying to decide what help I needed.

"Get her some moss to stop the bleeding. Cobwebs are even better if you can find them," shouted Moonleaf, seeming to be in her element. "Her mate is the deputy, she might know some moves."

Everyone just stood around me, looking at my bruises, welts, and cuts. "Well, go," snapped Serpentleaf. "Don't stare at her, Skyfrost. You'll look like her when your wonderful Snowpaw gets his warrior name."

Skyfrost scurried off with Brookleaf at her heels. When the rapid patter of their paws was replaced by dripping, stagnant water, the whole cave quieted. It seemed like we were all waiting for Moonleaf to speak.

"Blueflower," she said, addressing me. "We are forming a resistance to the tom's power. Actually, we formed it the day Blossomfrost was killed in Adderstar's den. But, still, we want you to join."

"My kits," I mumbled, not fully understanding what was happening around me. "Nightclaw would kill them. Poor Rosekit and Lilackit would be killed before they could become themselves."

"No," snapped Snakeleaf, walking right beside Serpentleaf. "In this world, they would never become themselves. They will be forced to mate and be beaten like you."

I looked towards the ground, too embarrassed to see eye to eye with them. I didn't want sweet Lilackit to end up like me, blood always pouring from some unhealed wound. Rosekit shouldn't have to live a life where she feared for her safety.

"Will Lilackit and Rosekit be safe if I join you cause?" I asked, scrambling to grasp the idea. "I couldn't imagine them being hurt because of something I do. I could never live with something like that weighing on my heart."

"Their life will be better," said Moonleaf as she motioned Brookleaf and Skyfrost to my side. "I plan on making she-cats equal to toms. Your kits could be warriors, able to protect themselves."

The idea seemed so absurd that I actually considered it. What would I do if I knew I could fight as well as Nightclaw? Would I be so littered with scars, would I even have kits?

"Won't cats get hurt," I asked, Redfrost and Shadowfrost on my mind. "Couldn't we die?" My voice was tense, there were so many risks with what Moonleaf was proposing.

"Aren't we already getting hurt. Tom's claws already bury their way into our fur and cause our blood to run." Her very words seemed to stir up everyone's slow burning desire to be free. "Blossomfrost is dead because we are scared to act."

"Oh, Blossomfrost," sighed Skyfrost as she dabbed up my wounds. She looked like she was about to weep, but she dabbed her eyes with the maroon moss. "Oh!"

Her grief reached my ears and tugged at my heart. She was so young, yet she had already suffered so much. I had already suffered so much at the hands of Nightclaw's and the other toms, would one more scar kill me?

"What would I have to do if I did you your resistance?" I asked, planning on joining no matter what they said. Rosekit and Lilackit deserved better then what they would get now. Even if I got hurt, they didn't have too.

"You have to teach us to fight," said Serpentleaf, rising from her position. "The toms won't back down peacefully, you know that. We need to protect ourselves," she said harshly, "and our kits," she added for my benefit.

"But I can't fight," I told her. To prove my point, I looked at her with my goo encrusted eye. My scars seemed to stare at her, trying to tell her I was weak and useless.

"But your mate can," said Snakeleaf, using the same tone as her sister. "You must have picked something up from him while he was beating you. A little tip you could share with the rest of us."

I closed my eyes, picturing Nightclaw, a vicious light in his eyes. The way his claws angled down at my face. That was usually my last vision because my world would go red with pain.

I pictured Icekit and Dawnkit tussling around as they played, kicking each other in the head. It wasn't real fighting, but it was more then any of these she-cats knew. I was something to start on.

Now they would be fighting for real; the thought appeared unannounced in my head. What if I had to face them in battle? Would I have to choose between my sons and my daughters? Could I make that choice?

When I closed my eyes, I could see the four of them fighting, but weren't my kits. Rosekit and Lilackit were fighting for freedom while Dawnpaw and Icepaw were fighting for power. I would be a dark age, but I would side with my gender if the time came.

I must have been in my nightmare world for a decent amount of time because Moonleaf looked surprised when I moved. "Do you have something to tell us?" she asked, knowing the answer full well.

"Yes," I stuttered, "yes I do." With that, I slashed by claws onto the moss, imagining it as Nightclaw when he struck Rosekit. Fury I never knew I possessed rose within me, unwilling to be tamed. It poured out in my actions, wanting no one else to suffer my fate.

"The show all of us," said Moonleaf as the rest of the she-cats lined up beside her. Skyfrost was shaking in her paws, but Brookleaf had a steely determination on her face. The sisters unsheathed their claws, thrilled to be using them.

Scared to be in power, I backed away. "You know what," I told them, my disappointment reflecting in their eyes, "I don't think I can do this. I have never told any cat what to do before."

The world was spinning before my eyes as I looked at them. "My wounds would get in the way," I explained, making up a flimsy excuse. "I would be able to move normally, you know, like a warrior."

The word felt weird sliding off my tongue. _Warrior_. It seemed impossible that I was comparing myself to one after I had just been beaten by one.

Moonleaf walked up to me and put her tail around my shoulders. "That is no excuse," she laughed, like I was just making a joke. "We all believe in you, Blueflower. I know you can teach us; they know you can teach them."

"Please Blueflower," said Skyfrost, her voice timid and uneven. "I want to know. I don't want Snowpaw to hurt me anymore."

"Sure, I'll teach you," I found myself telling her. She seemed so much like Lilackit, young and full of dreams. "You want to hold your paw like this, you claws unsheathed."

As the cats gathered around me, I began to feel like a mentor among many apprentices. I felt like a mother among kits. I fell into the role I had held for the past six moons, a teacher.

I grew in confidence as they grew in skill. Maybe all of this was possible.

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><p><strong>I really love all reviews, and not begging to much, could please give me a little feedback. <strong>

**Next chapter, a try at Duskkit. It is going to be rather short I'm afraid. I just want everyone to see how the tom's in BloomClan are faring. But Dusky is a little cutie, I think, so he will be adorable. He is the same age as my two kittens, so his personality is going to be perfect. **

**I had a questions raised about StarClan (hello Phantomflower.) I'm going to answer it towards the end because I don't want to give away anything major. StarClan is going to play a large role at the conclusion of our tale.**

**Once again, I apologize for how long it takes to update. Homework and swim practice accompany much of my time. I do love this story, but updates will take a while.**


	17. Stolen

**This wasn't my favorite chapter ever because Duskkit is such a strange character. I wanted something big to happen to him, and this is it. It is nearly two days after (well, one and a half) after Breezepaw's chapter and a lot has happened. I think you will understand as you read it. I would like to thank all my reviews, love you guys. (Marshmellowtime, LarkspiritofForestClan, nightfangfox, Mintfrost29, Broken Wolf Soul Spirit, Mossshine, Tangleflame, flyingshuriken, SilverWolf1499, Stormyfang502, Moonblaze 13, pablo04, Phantomflower, KTDLover, Stormdrop)**

**Time: Day 5**

**Character: Duskkit of BloomClan**

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><p><strong>Ch. 15 Stolen<strong>

My body was asleep, but my mind was still drifting. My fur and scrawny muscles were tensed to move. I hadn't seen Brightkit for a whole sunrise, but she might be out there, waiting for me to step out of my place.

My ears perked up as a gust of wind rustled the leaves lining the edge of the nursery. A strange scent, almost like dead fish, wafted into my nose. It smelled salty and tickled the cavity of my sensitive noise.

A buried my head into my brother's soft black fur, hoping the unpleasantness would vanish. Instead, the wind seemed to pick up and leaves and even some branches from the overhanging trees began to move.

My fur rose as I heard shuffling beside me. It was the sound of paws on solid rock, not the eerie fluttering of leaves. No one beside me seemed to hear it, the creature must be coming especially for me.

My heart beat faster as I prepared to see Brightkit's vicious green eyes peak into the nursery. But the relentless pounding seemed too heavy for her steps. Despite her intimidating demeanor, she couldn't possibly make steps that loud.

I tried to breath in my mother's sweet scent to calm my racing nerves, but all I smelled was the odor of damp moss. It stifled everything around me, making the noises seem like they were never there.

But my mother wasn't by my side; I couldn't ignore that. She was my protector, always saving me some piece of prey. If she wasn't beside me when I woke up, my stomach would growl in hunger.

I started to nudge my brother awake when my eyes saw the nursery in a new light. The half where Pantherkit, Fernkit, and I nested was empty. The moss was piled up next to me by some secretive visitor.

A tiny whimper escaped my mouth because nothing was making sense. Why was the world so confusing? It hurt my head to think about.

My pain eased the tiniest bit when I didn't scent Brightkit among every nestled together. But when I could smell Fernkit, I buried my head under my paws to hide from the world. If only my mother was here, sitting beside me.

I stood up, more frazzled then before, when I realized Larkspirit was the only queen still in the nursery. Sleeping kits had already curled up to her, not caring that their own mother's had disappeared.

When I saw a golden brown tail flash at the edge of my view, I shouted out, for once second, not caring what happened to me. Things would be worse if my mother abandoned me.

"Lightcloud, Mother," I called out, my voice hoarse. "Please come back." My pleas seem to fade away as I believed in them less and less. My heart sunk into my chest and I buried my face in my paws once again.

I ran to where I had seen her tail disappear, but all that was there was a pile of leaves. I threw myself in them, hoping she was just hiding. She couldn't abandon me, she couldn't have. Maybe this was all a terrible nightmare.

Even when a golden leaf-fall leaf tumbled onto the crown of my head, I refused to believe she had gone. Maybe if I sat by the entrance, she would return for me. Maybe.

The cold wind stung my back, but I didn't care to move. It felt wrong to sleep against another queen. It would be a bittersweet taste of betrayal. My mother would reject me when she came back.

As my tail and paws lost feeling, I tried to move my frozen muscles. My resolve to hold a vigil for my mother was gone. If I could rise of the ground and onto my tingling legs, I would snuggle against Larkspirit and my siblings.

They looked so nice and warm, cuddled together like they were. I could see my mother in the morning when the sun rose. She wouldn't mind if I had forgotten her just so I could be warm. No, I wouldn't forget her.

My thoughts destroyed themselves as I remembered the gap in my heart my Mother filled. I could never seem to stay on a positive train of mind. Something dark would always sweep in and demolish them.

This time, something dark really did sweep in from above. "How many moons are you?" it demanded, its voice too rough for a tom and too deep for a she-cat. "Can you fight?"

I was frozen with fear, unable to move. The essence of my nightmares had come to fight and kill me. Me, who had never done anything bad; I was also too terrified.

"F-f-f-fi-fiv-fiv-five moons," I told the dark shape, unable to keep the stutter out of my voice. It must have been the soul of a murdered cat, reeking their horrible vengeance. "I don't know how to fight. Please don't eat me."

He seemed angry at my answer, but his fury seemed to directed somewhere else. A burning flame erupted in his eyes, illuminating his vicious attitude. A brief idea flashed; call to the one remaining queen and kits for help.

I was determined to be brave. If it ended in my death, then I would no longer have to deal with the pain and troubles of this world. Maybe it would be better if the shadow demon killed me now. "Take my-my life," I told him. "I'll be in a better place."

I could picture a beautiful field, covered with flowers and my mother grinning in the middle. When my eyes opened to the reality, I saw a smile full of grinning white teeth. My screams only pierced my head, they refused to spill out of my mouth.

"I can see why Blossomfrost had me fooled," said the horrendous smile. "You are a bunch of weak sissies. You'd rather die then fight. Well, OakClan will be a rude awakening for you babies."

I wanted to say something, but I knew he was right. I just lay down an whimpered, my eyes started to tear up. "Just stay away, just stay away. Please!" My voice pitched up in a wail, shattering the air.

I heard some rustling behind me along with the slightly exhausted mews of kits. "Who is up and about?" asked Larkspirit, her sweet voice reminding me of my mother's. "It is a cold night, and the wind is biting."

I was happy to leave my haunting vision and nestle against a warm mass of fur, even if it wasn't my mother. The cold sweat of fear was leaving my body as the ice cold teeth of the wind was grasping my thin fur.

When I tried to pick up my tiny, ice-cold paws, I found myself stuck in one place. The ominous sharp was holding onto my tail, grinning it's evil grin, making me feel as tiny and unimportant as I truly was.

Then a claw ruffled the fur on my back, sending a shake of terror through my bones. Before I could push my icicles of legs forward, another claw closed over my mouth. I convulsed as only fur was entering my lungs, no oxygen.

"What is it Lightcloud?" asked a small voice belonging to my brother. It sounded worried and unsure of what was happening; exactly how I felt. "Is it a fox?"

"Of course not, Pantherkit," she cooed, making my fear my situation even more. "It is just the wind in the leaves. Please go back to sleep. I don't want you to wake Amberkit or Aspenkit." I wanted to be next to my brother.

I tried to kick out, but the pain in my back was to great and my vision was beginning to spin. When the darkness clouding my mind seemed complete, it suddenly got very light and very warm.

The last thing I wondered before fantasy trumped reality was why Larkspirit would lie to Pantherkit. Only Moonstripe would lie to anyone; the other queens were kind and sweet.

But that thought didn't last long as my brain was no longer functioning properly. Flashes of sunlight and shadows consumed my world making it hard to tell reality from my imagination.

I could see flowers in the distance, blowing in a warm green-leaf wind. My feet wanted to run towards it, but something tugged me from behind. Paws made out of solid air pulled me back into the darkness, away from the heat and love.

"If you stay quiet, I won't have to do that to you," said the voice. For the first time, I could see a dark black pelt connected to the strangling paw. "I'm not fond of beating toms. I prefer she-cats beneath my claws."

"I don't like getting beaten," I cried softly as soon as my world returned to normal. "I'll do anything, just don't beat me." I knelt down before the tom like I used to before Brightkit, begging not to receive another scar.

"Just don't struggle," he told me, speaking softly as if he was sensing my unease. It was odd talking to a tom like this, like he could really hurt me. But he has some unknown strength; maybe I had it too.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked after a blanketing silence had descended upon us. For some strange reason, I was comfortable in his grasp. It was like my mother would carry be after Brightkit would "play" with me.

"Where you belong," he mumbled, my scruff blocking his words. "Now be quiet, this is the tricky part." I couldn't fully understand what he was saying, but the point was clear, there would be no talking.

The small part of my body that clung to life remained quiet. The rest heaved up in revolt; they didn't want to be taken away from the one thing they love. The one thing it knew.

My captor stopped in the shadow of a huge stone as gray she-cat slowly paced in front of the exit. "Of course, Petalstar doesn't take me on the most spectacular raid in all of BloomClan's history. She trusts me to trade with Danger, but not fight our ancient enemy."

"Stay here," said my deep brown tom after he placed me in a darkest of the shadow. He slowly crept forward like he was hunting a field mouse. Claws slowly came unsheathed and the marked the soft ground.

The she-cat never saw it coming. The tom flew in a blur of black and brown; his eyes were blazing with barely contained rage.

I backed up against the rock, not believing what I was seeing with my eyes. Lilystrike had no time to defend herself, she was slain like a fish. My tom delivered a quick bite to the back of her neck, and she slumped forward.

He raced over to me, blood spilling out of his mouth. He teeth were stained pink with a dead cat's blood. I scrambled back, afraid I would be his next victim.

The vision of my mutilated body being found in the morning was terrible. My body would be buried with no ceremony, a tom with no kits. I couldn't even defend myself, if I was dead or alive.

"Well," he snapped at me, blood spitting out of his mouth and splattering it on the ground between us. "We have to go before the camp is alerted. The rest of the toms are already quite a distance out."

"The rest of the toms," I muttered, my voice muted by fear and confused. "But, don't the toms rarely leave the camp. Certainly not all at once."

"We aren't playing by the rules, kit," laughed the tom. "If we were, life wouldn't be worth living anymore. What is the point of having claws if you never use them."

As if proving a point, he eased beside me and stroked my tiny paws, causing milky white claws to fall out. "I have them to fight," I said looking into his green eyes, "but I have never fought."

He smiled at me like I was just waking up. Then, I could see Lilystrike laying dead behind him. "I don't think I want to fight. It seems wrong killing someone, even if they do something wrong."

He grinned, flashing pink fangs at me. "I bet you want to kill Brightkit if you had the chance. The toms gossip more then OakClan she-cats."

"I don't...don't know," I stuttered out. It was such a strange question to even consider. If I had the skills, the ability, would I kill her. "I don't think I could; she is way too scary. Her eyes look like yours just now."

"We can talk more about this later. Now come here." When I stayed rooted in my position, he growled at me, showing his anger for the first time. "You don't have a choice. Come here!"

His voice was soft to not wake any of the nearby cats, but it was forceful. I scampered over, my legs cramping up. "Where are we going."

I could feel a smile light up his mouth as he picked me up by my scruff. "Somewhere quite a distance away. The place where I come from."

"Are there more scary cats?" I asked, my teeth not chattered from the night breeze. "Are there more toms like you."

"Of course," he enjoyed a soft chuckle at my ignorance. "We are an entire Clan of tom warriors. You will train to be one of us. No more Brightkit for you."

As he picked up his pace in a race to put the BloomClan camp out of sight, I realized what I was leaving behind. "I want my mother. You are taking me away from her; you are a monster."

Whatever effect I wanted, I didn't get it. I was completely unnerved when he started laughing, the rumbling shaking my frail body. "I'm surprised you haven't realized that already. But, we are going to where your mother is heading. Eventually, we will catch up to her."

"Really," I said, my spirit soaring. It was hard to believe him: he had killed a cat in cold blood and just admitted to being a monster. It was hard not to believe because my heart wanted it to be true.

"Yes, really," he sighed, possibly annoyed by my endless pestering. "Now be quiet, I have to call for Fox. He said he was going to hide near the edge of the marshland."

I smiled until an ear pierce yowl filled the air and I tumbled onto the damp ground. My eyes darted around, looking for a mother fox until I realized it was my tom who had made that noise.

A ginger shape darted out of the bushes quickly and quietly. I let out my own yowl as a fox sat beside me and gave me a deep growl. "Run, run!"

The fox bit into my tail and pinned me to the ground. "You said you were taking care of the guards, Breeze. You never mentioned anything about bringing a kits."

"I have my reasons, Fox," growled Breeze, for that must be my tom's name. "He would be the perfect messenger or spy. Just think of the opportunities." Now that moonlight shown clearly upon the ginger, I could see that it was a cat.

Even though talking to a cat made more sense, I didn't understand why they were talking about me like that. Didn't Breeze just want to take me to my mother. He was a tom like me, someone on my side.

Whatever Breeze's logic was, Fox didn't understand it either. "Why did you drag along that weakling? The two of us will have enough trouble catching enough food for everyone without another mouth to feed."

"Foxt_horn_," sneered my tom, "you easily have forgotten how a Clan works and thinks. He will learn quicker then everyone else. He has a young mind that can be twisted."

Fox scowled at that name, looked at Breeze like he was a mouse he was too lazy to catch at the moment. "You were the one who was thinking of working with a she-cat. You were the one who had forgotten his entire life just a day ago. Did you forget that Breeze_blaze?_"

"Just shut up, I remember everything now. That is all that matters. We must put the past behind us if we want to collect the revenge StarClan owes us." He turned to pick me up, but stopped short. "Led the two of us to the camp. I think Kit here needs some rest."

"We all need rest genius," said Fox, galloping into the marsh. "We have a long way to go tomorrow, and you were unconscious and don't remember any of it."

"Just be quiet, Fox," mumbled Breeze, trying to sound tough through my fur. "I'm leading this band of toms, not you."

"That all depends on the moment, doesn't it." With that Fox disappeared into the darkness and we were forced to follow his scent.

As the frogs croaked in the distance, I wished even more that my mother was beside me. I wished that Pantherkit was curled up next to me, and he could make me feel safe.

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><p><strong>This might be my last update until after Thanksgiving (end of November) because I have recently become obsessed with Hetalia. I have watched all the episodes on Youtube, and I want to try my hand at a fanfiction. If you are interested in that, please kee watch for a story involving Germany and Rhineland (the first piece of land captured in WW2).<strong>

**I posted this chapter rather quickly, so I hope you are forgiving of any errors. Please review despite that, because this took quite some time to write. **

**I hope you liked Duskkit because he could possibly me the next chapter. I might even throw in Stormclaw just for the fun of it. Blossomfrost is the most likely choice because I bet everyone wants to know what is happening with the she-cats.**

**~Scar**


	18. Rage

**Definatly not my best chapter, but the next will be better and longer, I promise. It has been forever since I've updated, so I really want to thank the few who reviewed my last chapter. (Marshmellowtime, Mossshine, Moonblaze 13, KTD Lover, Mintfrost29, SilverWolf1499, RainbowNinjaUnicorn279, Luneon the Eclispe Pokemon, Phantomflower.) **

**Since it has been so long, a little recap: _Petalstar interviewed both Breezepaw and Blossomfrost about OakClan. Blossomfrost doesn't really trust the BloomClan leader. Breezepaw escaped with all the toms and Duskkit. He also got his memories back. _**

**Time: Day 5**

**Character: Blossomfrost of OakClan/BloomClan.**

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><p><strong>Ch. 16 Rage<strong>

My legs wobbled as I thought of everything I had told Petalstar. It had been too much, and both Breezepaw and I knew it.

There were some cats I wanted to gone but dead was a little too far. Someone loved all everyone of them. I pictured the cruel Nightclaw playing with his brother, Jadeclaw.

I could point out scars caused by the two of them, but I could also see happiness in their eyes. Nightclaw might have abused Blueflower, but he truly loved Icekit and Dawnkit. Even the toms had love.

Mintswip had helped me escape, I couldn't get his selfless act out of my head. If Petalstar really planned on attacking, I had to warn him. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I knew he died because I escaped.

What about Snowpaw or Freshpaw? They were still kits in my eyes. There might still be hope for them, killed swiftly with whatever Petalstar had planned.

It scared me how quickly she had acted, waking she-cats in the middle of the night. There had no time for me to plan, no time to try to persuade her not to. What else was she capable of?

I could hear whispers all around us, trying to figure out what was going on. It made me nervous, like an itch I couldn't scratch.

I tried to find Rainsong among the crowd, but she didn't seem to be there. I couldn't stop her distinctive limp and figured that was why Petalstar didn't wake her.

Even Ferretclaw was talking to another cat, probably an elder. Her eyes smiled as they reached me, but they turned away as her friend said something.

Firepaw had a angry look on her face, blind eyes gazing the surroundings though they couldn't see. She walked slowly behind Petalstar, her mentor, instead of next to Cloudpaw. Icepaw had been left behind, and she was fuming about it.

When a large tree with branches reaching towards the sky appeared on the horizon, Petalstar flicked her tail, motioning the end of the march for everyone. "When we reach our connection to StarClan, I'll tell you. Our ancestors will want to hear about my plans."

That brought up some more mumbling; no one wanted to bug Petalstar about it. Her air of confidence was making me skittish; I wanted to join the normal warriors and not stand out.

Standing out wasn't a good thing. It usually ended with a beating and a bleeding pelt. Though Petalstar insisted that it was a great thing in BloomClan, it is hard to turns one's entire life around.

The medicine cat seemed to sense my unease as she made her way over to me. "Everything will turn out okay. Look at how the stars seem to point across the river."

The way she looked up at the night sky, scared me even more. It was like her blind, pale eyes could really see the wonders that lay above. "They are pretty," I told her, feeling like they were the eyes of toms staring down on me.

"They are our mothers and sisters; our past ancestors watching us," she told me, a special tone in her voice. "Sometimes I imagine I can see them like I do in my dreams."

"My role models reside somewhere darker because StarClan wouldn't except them." Images of Redfrost and Shadowfrost popped in my mind, smiling at my success. "The live in a Forest of Darkness, forever hidden from light and happiness."

"Who told you that, Blossomfrost?" inquired Cloudblossom, her blind eyes looking directly into mine. "It is a bunch of lies. Only murders and savages live in those life deprived trees."

"The toms did," I breathed, looking away. "That is what we were taught from birth. If we ever disobeyed, not only would our living life be destroyed but also our afterlife."

Tears shifted on the edge of my eyes, as I recalled my metal image of Shadowfrost and Redfrost. Cloudblossom just placed her tail on my shoulder and hurried to Petalstar's side.

Seeing the two speaking in hushed whispers didn't make me feel any better. My heart beat wildly, completely unsure of itself. I took great concentration to put my paws in front of each other.

It seemed like forever when my feet stumbled over an uprooted root. I could hear sighs of relief around me as weary cats slumped over.

Nimbly leaping, Petalstar balanced on a lower branch of the great tree. The very branches seemed to reach to the stars, the one thing my new freedom would never grant me. Even the cold wind seemed to settle.

She lifted her head to the sky, looking every part a leader chosen by StarClan. "I'm sure you all want to know why I have brought you out here on this chilly night."

"Of course we do," cried Stormbreeze, her fur ruffling against the wind that swept through the crowd of cats. "I left my precious kits not knowing if I will be returning to them. The toms have also been left basically unguarded."

From my position beside the leader, I could see Fernkit and Brightkit smile. They were quivering form excitement, wondering what had sped up their kit hood. "I bet we have to fight horrible invaders," said Fernkit bouncing up and down.

Brightkit smiled, like she already knew what was happening. I wouldn't doubt that considering the attention Petalstar lavished upon the small kit. "I bet we are." She unsheathed her claws like she was already imagining it.

Moonstripe leaned over to scold her kit, whispering to Brightkit harshly. I couldn't hear exactly what words were exchanged, but they sounded harsh. Brightkit just rolled her eyes, knowing she wouldn't really get into any trouble.

"Well, we received some disturbing news from out newest arrival," announced the leader, taking pleasure in everyone's nervousness. "Blossomfrost arrived from across the river."

"You once told us that there was no possible way to get across the river," accused Dawnlight. A fire was gleaming in her frosty blue eyes. "Are you saying that you lied to us. Did you want to keep the knowledge all to yourself?"

Though no one else was close enough, I could see a flash of guilt light up Petalstar's eyes. It just made me even sure I needed to get away from her quickly. "I said there was no reason to cross the river. Now there is."

"Tell us already," said an elder who I had yet to meet. A black streak wrapped around her face, making her seem like she was masked. "I'm not as young as I used to be."

"Blossomfrost comes from OakClan, a Clan we thought was lost in time." If Petalstar thought she was going to get a certain response, she didn't get it. She quickly looked at me, trying to figure out what had happened.

"OakClan," said Ferretclaw, seeming to be the only cat who had even heard of my Clan – my former Clan that is. "OakClan was just a boring story when I was a kit. The elders could barely remember it."

"It is not a story," cried Petalstar, twisting the Clan around her claw. "It is a horrible and dreadful truth. It is a place where she-cats are kept in dark cages and treated like toms. A true cave of horrors."

"She-cats are taught they don't deserve a place in StarClan," announced Cloudblossom. Her quiet attitude seemed to strike at the heart of the softer warriors. Lightcloud let out a loud sigh.

I could see shock register in the warriors eyes; they saw me in a different light. Ferretclaw looked hurt that I had told her I was a kittypet. "I didn't mean to lie to you all. I just didn't know what to do. None of you have lived the life that I have."

It was actually the old she-cat I couldn't name that defended me. "Why are you all looking at her past? She is free and a BloomClan warrior. I think if anything, we should help her get revenge. We already rose from out warm nests."

"Well spoken," I said, trying to make it seem like I just didn't feel like saying her name. I took a gulp, bile catching in my throat. "I want to ask your help freeing my friends."

Petalstar gave me a look, telling me I shouldn't have spoken, but she quickly picked up my train of speech. "Also, we will have more toms for mates!"

Though the darkness began to infringe upon my night vision, strengthened by spending my time in a dark cave, I could see Duskfern smile. She might not care for my friends, but she desperately wanted a mate.

"Then it is settled," cried the leader, her blue eyes searing through the darkness. "We will rest beneath the Hollow Tree and contact Danger in the morning. By the next full moon, OakClan will be ours."

Cheers roared to life. I could see blood lust raging in some eyes, but several looked cautious. "You don't know how much this means to me." Tears were dripping slowly down my face. "But lets us not rush to battle."

"War rage has them now," the medicine cat told me. "Stop worrying and just get to sleep," said Cloudblossom, ushering me to the mass of cats with her tail. "I bet you will be up and ready to travel in the morning."

I sorely hoped she was right.

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><p><strong>As you can tell, a little disappointing. I'm going to get the she-cats crossing the river with Danger's band of rogues in the next chapter followed my Breezepaw and his escapades.<strong>

**Also, for any Hetalia fans, I have uploaded my Hetalia story- Guardian.**

**Please review because I need the motivation.**

**~Scar**


	19. Schemes

**Wow, I never thought I'd be uploading another chapter. It has been so long and I had nearly forgotten all about fanfiction. But I'm back and I hope by lovely reviewers are still around too.**

**Here's a summary in case you've forgotten: _Breezepaw was captured by Danger and her Rogues and taken to BloomClan. He briefly lost his memory and allied himself with Blossomfrost, who escaped from OakClan. Blossomfrost doesn't trust Petalstar but has no other options. Petalstar gathered most of the Clan on a patrol to go across the river and attack OakClan. Breezepaw was able to take advantage and escape with the toms, including Duskkit. Blossomfrost wants to confront OakClan but doesn't want a full on battle while most of BloomClan does._**

**Time: Day 6**

**Character: Leopardheart of BloomClan**

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><p><strong>Ch. 17 Schemes<strong>

"Rise and shine," crowed Petalstar, speaking to loudly in my ear. Her voice sounded disgustingly cheerful for so early in the morning. I wanted to swipe the grin right off her face.

"Line up in rows of three," I shouted, rising to my rank. "Brightkit and Fernkit, I want you in the middle. Firepaw, you too should be in the center."

The blind she-cat gave me the most chilling gaze, but I shrugged it off. It was for everyone's own good that the brilliant but blind fighter remained where not being able to see would be of no consequence.

"What about some fresh-kill?" called Quickstreak. "Should we go hunting now so we have energy for the day? I know my stomach could use a little meat."

I opened my jaws, prepared to tell her to get in line and wait until I ordered a hunt, but Petalstar beat me to it. "We'll hunt now. Duskfern, Everpaw, Fallowheart, and Frostbreeze; I want you to from a hunting patrol. Spiritclaw and Leopardheart, I want you to stay in camp and teach Brightkit and Fernkit some fighting moves."

A small hiss escaped my mouth. I was the deputy, why did I have to teach the two fur-balls who shouldn't have even come along. "Yes, Petalstar," I snarled. "Wait till I'm leader," I mumbled under my breath.

Luckily she didn't hear me as she turned around to talk to Cloudblossom and Blossomfrost. Per usual, I wasn't included in whatever strategy they were planning. I was the deputy and officially second-in-charge. I had the right to know everything that was going on but for some reason, I never did. It really riled my already riled fur.

"Great task we got stuck with," whispered Spiritclaw in my ear. "You think she'd put warriors like us to better use. Training kits - what are we, kit-sitters."

"I know, you think we'd be given a more important task." I stopped my revengeful mumbling as Brightkit and Fernkit skipped over to the two of us. "Hello kits," I said, grinning a messed up grin, my sharp teeth barred. Maybe I was trying to be friendly but really just wanted to show the kits I could probably eat them if they angered me.

"What are you going to teach us?" asked Fernkit, bouncing up and down. "It think we should learn this one," she cried, leaping up Brightkit's back, claws sheathed.

Suddenly, Brightkit's eyes flashed from a pale green to a deep blue. She turned under a pouncing Fernkit, facing her belly to the falling claws. Doing some move I've never seen, she tossed her small friend back into the air.

As if I had just imagine the whole thing, Brightkit's eyes switched back to there normal color, and she rolled back onto her paws. I swear she has a smug look in her eyes.

"We will learn to obey orders," shouted Spiritclaw, not noticing Brightkit due to her focus on a dust covered Fernkit. "You will do what we say and only what we say. In battle, you will obey Petalstar and Leopardheart only."

I puffed up my chest, narrowing my eyes on Brightkit. She smiled sweetly at me, like she was taking pleasure in something I knew nothing of. I curled my lips, swallowing a hiss.

"I want you to try to attack me," I told Brightkit, wanting to pound that look of her face. Who cares if she was just a kit, she was mocking her superior.

She pounced like a weak kit and as I slowly stepped out of the way, she seemed to shift in the air. I winced as her claws dug into my back, and I saw the blue eyes again.

Spiritclaw laughed at me as I angrily threw Brightkit off my back. "What did you want to show me?" asked the annoying kit. I fluffed my fur out and huffed away, not giving the upstart an answer.

"Stupid mouse brain," I mumbled, sitting on the edge of our make-shift camp. I felt like a useless deputy, even Blossomfrost was more important than me. Me - the one who knew how to lead and fight and hunt.

My vision blurred as I looked at nothing in particular. The scenery seemed to blend together in an angry haze. I unsheathed my claws and gouged them into the dirt; I just wanted to attack something.

"What is your entire Clan doing so far away from your camp?" said a voice. I snapped out of my fevered anger and rose quickly to my paws. A molted she-cat stood in front of me with her peach-colored sidekick shaking beside her. I must have been really out of it to not notice their approach.

She looked at me with one good eye, like she was expecting trouble. I could see her fur rising on her back, and I wanted to slice it down with my claws. Looking past her torn up face, I realized it was Piper, Danger's upstart second-in-command.

"Why is this of any importance to you?" I snapped back. I knew I was only decreasing the chance of us gaining their assistance cheaply, but I honestly didn't care. "Your little gang of rogues is only still around because Danger pleases us."

"We just wanted to know. If we're no threat to you, why don't you lead me and Breeze to Petalstar. " The she-cat drew her claw across the ground, slicing blades of grass. "Just a nice little chat about our deal."

A growl ripped from deep within my throat as I turned away from the two she-cats. Of course, I hadn't been told of any deal made with the rogues, of course. "Follow me you pieces of mouse dung," I snarled. "Petalstar will probably be so pleased to meet you," I breathed beneath my breath.

"We aren't mouse dung," said the feisty she-cat, rolling her one eye at me, "but we'll follow you anyway. Danger is very curious as to why you need guides. BloomClan has never shown interest in crossing the river before; she hopes this doesn't threaten our business deal."

"It might, little she-cat," I told her, loving the sickly sweet tone my voice had gained. "We plan to take over a whole Clan of toms. Maybe Petalstar will have no more need for your petty services."

I could see Piper readying for an attack just like I was. The fire in her eyes were burning into mine as resentment pooled in their depths. Her cowardly she-cat companion looked nervous, bouncing on the pads of her feet.

One of us would have lunged for the others throat - probably myself- if not for Petalstar appearing at me side. I was nearly ready to bite hers out when she spoke.

"Leopardheart," she smiled and grinned at me like she knew everything I had said. "I see you found our guides. Smokefrost and Cloudpaw asked them to come after _you_ had fallen asleep."

The way she said it made it hard for me to keep my claws under control; it was like I had been skimping on my job when in actuality, she had been. While she slept, I gathered the warriors and issued commands. I was the one who had to put up with the complaining of those who had been left behind. I was the one who had been up all night. Sorry if I was tired from all the work I had to do!

"Sorry," I growled through clenched teeth. It was hard trying to stop all the curses that were popping into my head. "I'll bring them back to camp right away," I turned away sharply, anger still boiling in my veins.

"No you won't," said Petalstar, looking at me with her unnatural blue eyes. I winced, recognizing the color. They were the same shade as Brightkit's when she turned on Fernkit. That was something I needed to check out at a later time.

"I won't?" I questioned, slightly nervous but still defiant. "I'm sure they need to eat, and I bet the Clan wants to meet the cats who will lead them somewhere they have never been before."

Petalstar bristled at my sarcasm, not liking having her leadership questioned. "As I was saying, you will bring the Clan and the fresh-kill over here. I don't want Piper and Breeze being so tired that they lead us astray."

"Yes, all mighty leader," I sneered under my breath, making my way back to camp. I hoped for my sanity that Fallowheart had saved me a piece of prey. I'm pretty sure Petalstar was telling the fox dung rouges that I was a poor choice for a deputy and apologizing like a tom who needed allies to survive.

Shooting a heated glance back towards Petalstar and the rogues, I snarled out to Spiritclaw who looked ready to curse me and the kits out. "Are the hunters back yet? We are going to bring the prey to meet out guides."

"They returned just after you left," replied Spiritclaw, shoeing the kits back to Moonstripe and Lightcloud. "One of them set aside a shrew for the two of us."

I could tell she was one snide comment away from blowing her fur off. She was probably ready to eat me for leaving her with the kits; especially crazy, bratty Brightkit.

"Okay," I said to her, eying the small piece of prey with distaste. But no, I wouldn't say anything negative about it … out loud.

To everyone, I made my announcement. "Petalstar has meet up with our two guides. To those familiar with Danger's rogues, it is Piper and Breeze. Bring the prey, we will share it with them when we reach the next gathering spot."

I could see the cats who had questioned Petalstar last night showing no signs of questioning me. It gave me a sense that if I wasn't respected and liked, I was at least feared and obeyed. That was definitely something.

They did just sit there looking at me. The queens who had been roused to go on the patrol looked exhausted; probably not used to actually doing work. "Hurry up, we aren't going to keep our guides waiting, are we?"

I expected Quickstreak to complain, but if anything, her and Ferretclaw standing made everyone else rise to there feet. "It isn't far, I hope?" called the elder. I could nearly hear her joints creaking from here.

"Only about five minutes north," I said to her, raising my voice so everyone could hear. If I had to answer that question again, woe to the cat who wasn't listening.

Together as a group, we made our way north to where Petalstar was waiting. I made sure to stand at the front of the column, showing Petalstar that most of the Clan looked to me for leadership, even if she didn't.

As soon as Petalstar came into view though, I was no longer the leader. Instead of looking towards me, they looked towards her. Brightkit was practically bouncing out of her paws.

"Eat quickly," announced Petalstar, smiling at the annoying Brightkit, "but listen up. Before we venture across the river, there is something I want to do. It is time that Cloudpaw is made into a warrior."

I growled a little in the back of my throat. As a deputy, Petalstar should have told me what she was planing to do. I got a say in the decision – not that I would've have said anything against it, but I had been left out again!

"From now on," announced Petalstar, breaking the traditional words usually spoken. "Cloudpaw will be known as Cloudflight. I know she will be a loyal warrior in the upcoming battle."

The whole Clan was silent until Smokefrost started a halfhearted cheer. I could see suspicion in her eyes, wondering why she hadn't been asked if her apprentice was ready.

Cloudblossom looked to the sky like she was trying to figure out what StarClan was thinking about the shortening the the ceremony. There was a worried look in her blind eyes.

I didn't care about StarClan, probably even less than Petalstar did, but she didn't realize she had just given me something I could use against her. Maybe I could induce StarClan's rage against her if I played my paws right.

"Brightkit and Fernkit will also become apprentices today. Instead of assigning them mentors, the whole Clan will watch over their training," she announced, looking especially at Brightkit.

I could see Moonstripe prickling up with her kit's apprentice ceremony being tossed in like an afterthought. She didn't dare to say anything though.

Fernkit …paw looked like she could care less about what words were spoken. Brightpaw, however, looked furious, like she deserved something better. Her little eyes were flaming with anger.

I grinned in glee for a second because it looked like Brightpaw was going to call Petalstar out. Then, at the last second, Fernpaw distracted her and stopped any chance I had of knocking Petalstar off her perch.

"That is all," said Petalstar, "gather ranks and move out!"

Complaining under their breath, all the warriors slowly got on their feet. I saw Firepaw and Everpaw walk over to Cloudflight. There were either congratulating her or apologizing for her messed up and rushed ceremony. Hopefully the second.

I walked a little closer to them to turn a ear to their conversation. "At least you are a warrior," said Firepaw, trying to wrap her tail around Cloudflight's shoulders. "I'm sure Cloudblossom will communicate with StarClan for you."

"Yeah," laughed Everpaw. "You did get a perfect name though, Cloudflight. It sounds mysterious and sweet at the same time- just like you."

"I know," breathed Cloudpaw- no, flight. "I had just imagined my warrior ceremony for so long. I would dream about how Petalstar could complement my mind and my hunting, how everyone one would cheer my name, and I'd swell up with pride. But, that wasn't it. The reality kind of sucks."

Seeing an opportunity for something, I joined the three young cats as soon as a good marching rhythm was developed. Didn't want to draw any suspicion upon myself because even without me doing anything, Petalstar still found a reason to distrust me.

"Congrats on your new name, Cloudflight," I said to her, throwing a genuine smile on my face; she was a good warrior, not afraid to use her claws when she had to. "Sorry your ceremony was rushed. I guess this invasion has really switched everything's order of importance."

Everpaw looked a little rattled that she had the deputy engaging her in normal conversation; probably terrified because I wasn't especially prone to talking to apprentices. Firepaw looked slightly suspicious, probably because her tom loving mother didn't like me.

"Oh, it nothing, Leopardheart," said Cloudflight, really looking like she was trying to choke back tears and sobs. "At least I'm a warrior now."

"Darling," I cooed, walking up on her right side and effectively pushing Firepaw away, "don't even pretend you aren't a little disappointed. I know how much a proper warrior ceremony means to a real BloomClan warrior. I can't believe Petalstar put a bunch of toms over you."

I think I was getting pretty decent at this whole lying and deceiving thing. And Petalstar didn't think I'd make a good leader. Mouse dung! That's all she really did anyway.

Cloudflight shrugged her shoulders and looked nervously towards her friends. She obviously didn't want to be talking to me, and I can take a clue. So I left the trio and walked up beside Spiritclaw near the front of the column.

Risking a glance behind me, Everpaw was watching me like she was trying to figure out why I had talked to them. Cloudflight and Firepaw had, at least visually, pushed my visit aside but she'd never guess, so I risked a sly smile at her.

Spiritclaw noticed my smile and nudged me with her paw. "A mouse for your thoughts?" she asked me. "Anything that will get us out of kit-sitting next time around?" She laughed a short vicious laugh that I wished I could imitate.

"Maybe," I said and left it at that. No need to give anything away. So with my answer, we fell into a comfortable silence. A silence that needed no words which was a blessing cause I was too tired to be in the mood for talking.

And most the of the Clan was silent too. Petalstar was talking with Piper and Breeze just out of my earshot and I could hear Brightpaw and Fernpaw somewhere behind me. I think I might've heard Cloudblossom and Blossomfrost but the two were naturally quiet so I couldn't hear them too well. There were birds above us and I just wanted to claw them out of the sky to stop their noise.

Then the silence was replaced with the rumbling of monsters as we approached a thunderpath. I held up my tail as a signal cause I could see we'd definitely be stopping. As soon as I did that, I could hear conversations pick back up as warriors began to mumble among themselves. Thank StarClan Spiritclaw wasn't a nervous furball and just quietly surveyed the scene.

Our three leaders, of course I'm not included in that count, turned around. I had to grin when Piper beat Petalstar to speaking.

"We're not going to be crossing the thunderpath," shouted Piper, getting everyone's attention. I could hear some relieved sighs from behind me. I had to watch myself because I almost felt one escape me. Going on the thunderpath was the worst part of visiting Danger's lair. Not that I was scared but I just really didn't like it. I had my reasons. "We're going to walk along side of it."

I think I just died a little bit inside, and I could see some of the cats around me looked a little ill too. Dawnlight especially looked liked she was going to vomit cause her younger sister had died playing around by a thunderpath. Remembering Leafpaw just made me hate Piper and Petalstar even more.

"We'll stop for a break now," announced Petalstar. "We'll need all our energy for the next part of the journey. We should reach the other side by moon-high!"

A couple cats yowled in response, but I could see most were nervous. Not only would we be marching into unknown territory beside a thunderpath but we'd be doing it through the night. Petalstar was making it too easy for me to turn cats against her.

"Spiritclaw, Cloudflight, Ferretclaw, Firepaw, and Everpaw," I called out, assuming my role as deputy but knowing sooner rather then later I'd either be the leader or be dead. "I want you guys to go hunting. Spiritclaw will lead the patrol. Stormbreeze and Smokefrost, you two will continue teaching Fernpaw and Brightpaw basic fighting maneuvers."

Seeing how everyone was doing something or settling down, I found my way to Dawnlight who was sharing tongues with Lightcloud. They both looked up at me, slightly fearful and slightly confused.

"Hey Leopardheart," said Lightcloud, breaking the silence that I couldn't seem to. "Is there something you want us to do or are you just looking for a conversation?"

The way she phrased her question made me positive she didn't want me to choose her second option. Which was fine with me cause I didn't want to talk to that spineless lump of fur anyway.

Swallowing hard, I said pointedly to Lightcloud, " I was just making sure that Dawnlight is fine with going by the thunderpath. I was wondering if she wanted to return home cause we could always use some more warriors back at camp. " Hopefully I sounded like I actually cared for her.

"What are you saying about her?" snapped Lightcloud. Really, what is up with that cat? Did she have a thorn in her paw or something? "Are you saying she's not a real warrior?"

I was about to snap back something kits shouldn't hear when Dawnlight put her tail on Lightcloud's shoulder. "I'd actually like that a lot, Leopardheart. I won't be much of a help for this trip. I'd probably slow you down."

Lightcloud and I broke our stares at each other to just look bewilderingly at Dawnlight. I guess neither of us were expecting her to take up my offer. Hopefully Petalstar wouldn't kill me for losing one of her – our – warriors.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll leave now," said Dawnlight, probably feeling the need to break our silence. Thank StarClan she did because I usually like silence but I didn't like that one. It had me unsettled and I like to feel like I'm in complete control.

Taking a deep breath, I pretended this was exactly what I wanted to happen. "You won't need an escort?" I asked. "I don't think I can spare another warrior to take you back to camp. We don't know OakClan's numbers and I'd rather play it safe."

"Yeah, I'll be fine," said Dawnlight. "You'll tell Petalstar for me, right? I want to be back to the Hollow Tree before sun-down."

Lightcloud looked at me like she was trying to read my mind and guess what I was going at. She'd never figure out that I had just been trying to earn Dawnlight's favor and not send her back to camp. You gamble and lose sometimes; and, I really had lost.

"I'll tell Petalstar later. She looks really anxious now and I don't want her to worry about you going back to camp by yourself. "

Dawnlight nodded like it all made sense. She gave Lightcloud a lick on the shoulder and walked out of your make-shift camp. No one seemed to notice her departure as they were too busy sharing tongues or sleeping.

Looking at the cats that were sleeping, I decided that's what I needed. Petalstar could actually try really running the Clan for a change cause I wasn't going to be able to stay awake till moon-high with the amount of sleep I had gotten the last few sunrises.

It felt like I had just curled up and closed my eyes on the far side of camp when I could hear the hunting group returning. Stretching, I sauntered over to where the prey had been put and began dividing it among the cats. None of the prey looked particularly appetizing so I didn't save much for myself. I made sure to give the biggest blackbird to Petalstar to make her seem greedy. Always thinking, I am.

Spiritclaw sat down next to me as I took a bite of my shrew. "Hunting's hard around here," she told me, obviously needing someone to vent to and knowing I'd probably stay quiet. "Every time I'd get close to a bird, some monster would come running down the thunderpath and scare it away. I don't know how they are still alive if they can't stalk prey silently. I just want to be across the river and over with this whole OakClan visit. We've been fine without them for moons. By StarClan, why do we even need to bother with them?"

I nodded along with what Spiritclaw was saying as I chewed but I knew I needed this battle that was coming up. If there was anything I was better at than Petalstar – though there was actually a lot of things – it was fighting.

This battle could also give me the excuse to rip out a couple of her lives. What a terrible accident that would be. Who ever would take her place?

* * *

><p><strong>So a chapter! I hope it didn't disappoint. Leopardheart adds another layer of conflict to the story. We might see her POV again because she's fun to write with her spunky and defiant personality. <strong>

**Next chapter will probably be Breezepaw and his toms. We haven't heard much of BloomClan's toms and it's about time they develop a personality. **

**Remember to review if you're still reading this.**

**-Scar**


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